Salalah to Host 7th Oman-Saudi Economic, Trade and Industry Committee Meeting

Salalah to Host Seventh Oman-Saudi Economic, Trade and Industry Committee Meeting

Salalah: The Wilayat of Salalah in Dhofar Governorate will host next Wednesday the seventh meeting of the Heads of the Coordination Committee for Economy, Trade and Industry, emanating from the Omani-Saudi Coordination Council.

The meeting will bring together officials and representatives of relevant authorities from both countries to discuss ways of strengthening economic, trade and industrial integration and developing partnerships and initiatives that serve their common interests.

The Omani side will be headed by Engineer Ghalib bin Saeed Al Maamari, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion for Trade and Industry and Chairman of the Coordination Committee from the Omani side. The Saudi side will be headed by Engineer Rakan bin Wadhah Trabzoni, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy and Planning for International Economic Affairs and Chairman of the committee from the Saudi side.

The meeting will review progress in implementing joint initiatives, discuss proposed initiatives for adoption and consider recommendations and future steps aimed at accelerating implementation, addressing challenges and enhancing coordination between the relevant authorities.

The committee works to implement initiatives agreed upon by the two sides and promote cooperation in the economic, trade and industrial sectors. It also supports agreements, memoranda of understanding and proposals aimed at expanding cooperation and strengthening economic relations between Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Its objectives include enhancing integration between industrial supply chains, developing and automating future factories, increasing bilateral trade and promoting non-oil exports, while supporting productive sectors and enabling the private sector to benefit from opportunities in both markets.

Engineer Al Maamari said that economic, trade and industrial relations between Oman and Saudi Arabia continue to develop, supported by the shared commitment to strengthening economic integration and expanding cooperation.

He noted that the meeting would focus on following up on agreed initiatives and advancing their implementation, with particular attention to measures that directly support the business environment and private sector.

The initiatives include facilitating trade and investment, addressing obstacles to bilateral trade, strengthening industrial integration and supply chains, and creating new opportunities for partnerships and mutual investment.

Al Maamari added that the committee is also following up on initiatives related to reducing trade barriers, expanding recognition of industrial capabilities in both countries, and ensuring equal treatment of Omani and Saudi companies in government tenders and procurement.

Other areas of cooperation include attracting industrial investments from both countries, developing non-oil exports, promoting competition and combating monopolistic practices, as well as facilitating the registration of Omani products with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority and the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization.

Engineer Khalid bin Salim Al-Qasabi, Director General of Industry at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion and Head of the committee’s working group from the Omani side, said the joint initiatives provide a practical framework for translating bilateral cooperation into projects and programmes with tangible economic impact.

He said the ministry seeks to open new opportunities for the private sector, particularly in value-added industries and advanced technologies such as semiconductors and electronic chips, as well as ready-made factories.

The initiatives also seek to leverage Oman’s strategic location to enhance re-export activities and increase bilateral trade between Oman and Saudi Arabia.

The meeting will witness the signing of an executive programme to activate the memorandum of understanding between Oman’s Ministry of Economy and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Economy and Planning in the fields of economy and planning for 2026-2028.

The programme aims to translate the memorandum of understanding into practical initiatives and follow-up programmes, with recommendations calling for the inclusion of these programmes within the committee’s work to further expand bilateral cooperation and economic integration.