MUSCAT: The brotherly bilateral relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the State of Kuwait are witnessing tangible development at all levels which reflects the depth of the historical, cultural, political and economic ties between the two brotherly countries manifested in a balanced joint diplomacy towards regional and international issues.
The state visit by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to the sisterly State of Kuwait on Monday, during which His Majesty will meet with his brother, HH Shaikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jaber al Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait, is yet another milestone in the strong bilateral relations.
The Sultanate of Oman and the State of Kuwait are considered role models in dealing with the regional and global issues as observers notice similarities in the foreign policy and the diplomacy of the two countries.
In 2003, a joint committee was formed to bolster bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries in various fields including commerce, industry, culture, tourism, scientific research and media in order to achieve more of their common aspirations for prosperity and development. Spearheaded by the foreign ministers of the two countries, the joint committee has contributed to developing joint relations and cooperation in various fields.
A number of agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed in several fields. Besides, economic relations witnessed a significant headway particularly after undertaking joint ventures at Duqm Special Economic Zone and more specifically the Duqm Refinery.
Dr Saleh bin Amer al Kharousi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the State of Kuwait, said that the visit of His Majesty the Sultan, to the sisterly State of Kuwait is of special importance being a state visit that would strengthens the distinguished bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries in various fields.
In a statement to the Oman News Agency, the ambassador said that there is continued coordination between the two brotherly countries on the regional and international issues as the two countries share similar principles of foreign policy and play important roles in building bridges with various parties while they remain committed to the principles of peace and rejecting violence.
The economic aspect receives great attention from both sides. The Duqm Refinery was opened under the patronage of His Majesty the Sultan and His Highness the Emir of the State of Kuwait last February. The project is a joint investment worth $9 billion and is considered the largest joint investment in the GCC region, Al Kharousi said.
The two countries are currently implementing joint economic projects and the visit of His Majesty the Sultan to the State of Kuwait will see the signing of a number of memoranda of understanding and executive programmes in the economic, cultural and artistic fields, he said pointing to the increase in the volume of trade exchange between the two countries and the volume of direct Kuwaiti investment in the Sultanate of Oman most of which is centred in manufacture, real estate, hotels, trade and financial brokerage.
The ambassador stated that the number of Kuwaiti visitors to the Sultanate of Oman rose to 40,000 in 2023 from 32,000 tourists in 2022, noting that the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in Kuwait has coordinated with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and the Dhofar Municipality to implement a promotion campaign for tourism in the Sultanate of Oman in this month to increase the number of visitors from the State of Kuwait.
There is an ongoing cultural and artistic cooperation and exchange between the two countries, and activities are being coordinated by the competent authorities including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and the National Museum in the Sultanate of Oman with National Council for Culture, Arts and Literature and the Islamic Antiquities House in Kuwait.
Dr Mohammed bin Nasser al Hajri, Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the Sultanate of Oman, said that the state visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to the State of Kuwait is expected to further strengthen the relationship between the leaderships and peoples of the two brotherly countries. He added that His Majesty will be received as a guest of his brother HH the Emir of the State of Kuwait. It will be a historic visit given the ancient and deep-rooted relations binding the State of Kuwait and the Sultanate of Oman. The visit will culminate in enhanced cooperation at the political level in many regional and international issues.
Kuwaiti students are studying at the universities of the Sultanate of Oman while there are Omani students in the universities of the State of Kuwait. On the economic level, the two countries achieved a lot during the visit of His Highness the Emir of the State of Kuwait last February which saw the opening of the largest investment project between the two countries namely the Duqm Refinery. This project represents cooperation, economic partnership and generates job opportunities for the citizens of both countries.
Statistics issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) show a significant increase in the volume of trade exchange between the Sultanate of Oman and the State of Kuwait which saw a 211 per cent increase recording RO 876,721,709 by the end of 2023 compared to RO 281,854, 855 a year earlier.
According to the NCSI, the volume of direct Kuwait investments in the Sultanate of Oman stood at RO 830,900,000 by the end of the fourth quarter of 2023. The value of Omani exports to the State of Kuwait amounted to RO 133,385,419 Omani in 2023, 24.2 per cent increase compared to the previous year’s figure of RO 107,416 735.
The overall value of the Sultanate of Oman’s imports from the State of Kuwait over the past year stood at RO 669, 455,697 up from RO 131, 213,668 in 2022, a 410 per cent increase. The number of companies registered in the Sultanate of Oman with Kuwaiti stakes were 301 by the end of 2023 with a total invested capital exceeding RO 84.4 million in the sectors of manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, real estate, financial services, insurance, technology, among others. — ONA
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