News

Oman Chairs Meeting of GCC Culture UndersecretariesMuscat, 10 Oct (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman today chaired a meeting of GCC undersecretaries of culture under the chairmanship of Sayyid Said bin Sultan Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Culture. Sayyid Said pointed out that the meeting caps up a long march of diligent cultural action culminating in the GCC Cultural Strategy that serves as a guideline for cultural projects, events, plans and programmes. The overall outcome of the strategy kept pace with developments in the regional, ...

Oman Participates in Meeting of INTOSAI Working Group on Combating CorruptionBangkok, 10 Oct (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the State Audit Institution (SAI) took part in the 16th meeting of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) working group on combating corruption and money laundering.The three-day meeting, held in Thai capital Bangkok, looks into endorsing the group’s work plan for the years (2023-2025) in line with the INTOSAI strategy.The meeting also discusses the progress report of the working group tasked with ...

Foreign Minister Meets Foreign Minister of Hungary in MuscatMuscat, 10 Oct (ONA) —- Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister today met with Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, on the sidelines of the 27th Joint GCC-EU Ministerial Council in Muscat.The meeting reviewed the bilateral relations between the two countries. It also discussed aspects of cooperation and means of promoting them particularly in fields of trade cooperation and economic diversification, renewable energy and production of green hydrogen. The two sides also discussed a ...

Foreign Minister Discusses Regional, International Issues with Austrian, Czech CounterpartsMuscat, 10 Oct (ONA) —- Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister today met with Alexander Schallenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria, on the sidelines of the 27th Joint GCC-EU Ministerial Council in Muscat.The two sides explored opportunities of trade, cultural and investment cooperation between the two countries. They also discussed a range of regional and international issues.The Austrian minister valued the Sultanate of Oman’s role in releasing two citizens of his ...

Political Affairs Undersecretary Receives Ambassador of Ireland Muscat, 9 Oct (ONA) --- Sheikh Khalifa Ali Al Harthy Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Political Affairs met here today with Gerry Cunningham, Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland to the Sultanate of Oman, stationed in Riyadh. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 27th session of the Joint GCC-EU Ministerial Council in Muscat, which will be held tomorrow (Tuesday) in Muscat. During the meeting, the Undersecretary and the Ambassador reviewed bilateral relations and discussed means of boosting ...

Foreign Minister Receives Kuwaiti CounterpartMuscat, 9 Oct (ONA) --- Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister held a meeting here today with Sheikh Salem Al Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, who is currently visiting the Sultanate of Oman to participate in the 27th session of the GCC-EU Joint Ministerial Council in Muscat.The two ministers discussed various aspects of bilateral relations and reviewed ways to enhance them in all political, economic and cultural fields.They also stressed the need to regulate maritime navigation in Khor Abdullah ...

Oman Participates in 11th Regional Cybersecurity Exercise in Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi, 9 Oct (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman today participated in tasks of the Regional Cybersecurity Week, which is organized by the Arab Regional Cybersecurity Centre (ARCC) in cooperation with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology is representing Oman at the event, held in the city of Abu Dhabi from 9 to 12 October 2023, under the theme of “Cybersecurity Innovation and Industry Development.”As many as 350 specialists from 70 ...

Foreign Minister Meets Belgian CounterpartMuscat, 9 Oct (ONA) --- Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister met here today with Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions of the Kingdom of Belgium.The two sides reviewed bilateral relations and discussed various aspects of cooperation between the two countries and means of enhancing them.The two sides also commended the existing cooperation between the two countries and the two countries' keenness to activate joint cooperation in all areas.Moreover, the meeting touched ...

EU Delegation Visits Frigate “Navarra” at Port Sultan Qaboos Muscat, 9 Oct (ONA) --- A delegation from the European Union (EU) today visited Operation Atalanta’s frigate “Navarra” at Port Sultan Qaboos. The visiting delegation comprised Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and several EU foreign ministers. The High Representative of the EU expressed his appreciation for the Sultanate of Oman’s continuous support to Mission Atlanta. He underscored Oman’s ‘vital’ role in the success of the ...

Foreign Minister, Maltese Counterpart Review Fields of Bilateral Cooperation Muscat, 9 Oct (ONA) --- Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister met with Dr. Ian Borg, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Malta, on the sidelines of the 27th session of the Joint GCC-EU Ministerial Council in Muscat. The two sides reviewed areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. They also shared the keenness in expanding vistas of cooperation particularly in fields of tourism and investment. The two sides also exchanged viewpoints on a range of ...

Foreign Minister Meets Netherlands CounterpartMuscat, 9 Oct (ONA) --- Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister met here today with Hanke Bruins Slot, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as a part of the 27th session of the Joint GCC-EU Ministerial Council in Muscat.The two ministers expressed their keenness to continue developing and expanding cooperation and economic partnership between the two countries, particularly in the fields of energy and logistics.The two sides exchanged viewpoints and consultations on a range of regional and ...

Foreign Minister Meets Swedish, Croatian Counterparts Muscat, 9 Oct (ONA) --- Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister met here today with Tobias Billstrom, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden, within the context of the 27th session of the Joint GCC-EU Ministerial Council in Muscat. The two sides discussed the bilateral relations and areas of cooperation between the two countries. On his turn, Sayyid Badr underscored the importance of respecting religious beliefs and establishing laws that prohibit and criminalize incitement to hatred or discrimination ...

Foreign Minister Receives Vice-President of European Commission Muscat, 9 Oct (ONA) --- Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister met with Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President ofthe European Commission. This meeting was held within the framework of the 27th session of the Joint GCC-EU Ministerial Council in Muscat The meeting touched on the GCC-EU relations and cooperation in political and economic fields. It also underlined the importance of applying items of the joint strategy agreed by ...

NDC Commandant Receives EU High Representative for Foreign AffairsMuscat, 9 Oct (ONA) --- Rear Admiral Ali Abdullah Al Shidi, Commandant of the National Defence College (NDC) at the Academy for Strategic and Defence Studies, received at Bait Al Falaj Garrison today Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission. During the meeting, the two sides discussed several topics of mutual interest.The meeting was attended by the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Kingdom of Belgium, Head ...

Foreign Minister, His Lithuanian Counterpart Review Bilateral Relations Muscat, 9 Oct (ONA) --- Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister met with Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. This meeting was held on the sidelines of the 27th session of the Joint GCC-EU Ministerial Council in Muscat. The meeting reviewed the bilateral relations between the two countries. It also explored various aspects of cooperation and means of promoting them particularly in areas of tourism and economic cooperation, renewable energy, ...

Oman, Cyprus Review Bilateral RelationsMuscat, 9 Oct (ONA) --- Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister met here today with Dr. Constantinos Kombos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus. This meeting was held on the sidelines of the 27th session of the Joint GCC-EU Ministerial Council in Muscat.The two sides reviewed the bilateral relations between the two countries. They also discussed various aspects of cooperation and ways of strengthening them, particularly in the economic, cultural and tourism fields.The meeting was attended by Munthir Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, ...

Royal Office Minister Receives EU OfficialsMuscat, 9 Oct (ONA) --- Gen. Sultan Mohammed Al Nu’amani, Minister of the Royal Office received here today Joseph Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and his accompanying delegation. The guest expressed his appreciation for the Sultanate of Oman’s firm position and policies in resolving crises through dialogue and peace. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed several matters of mutual interest. Moreover, Gen. Sultan Mohammed Al Nu’amani, Minister of the ...

Delegated by HM The Sultan, Deputy PM for Defence Affairs Receives Qatari AmbassadorMuscat, 9 Oct (ONA) --- Assigned by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, received at his office at Al Murtafaa garrison (MAM) Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Ambassador of Qatar to the Sultanate of Oman, to bid him farewell at the end of his tour of duty in Oman.HH Sayyid Shihab thanked the Ambassador for the efforts he exerted to enhance relations between Oman and Qatar.For his part, the Qatari ambassador lauded the ...

Oman Chairs Meeting of GCC Information Undersecretaries Muscat, 8 Oct (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman, chaired today the meeting of GCC Undersecretaries of Ministries of Information, which was held in preparation for the 26th meeting of GCC Ministers of Information. Oman was represented during the meeting, held via video-conferencing, by Mohammed Said Al Balushi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information. The meeting discussed several topics related to mutual GCC action in the information field. The meeting also reviewed the matter of approving a joint plan for ...

Oman Expresses Sympathy with Afghanistan on Devastating Earthquake Muscat, 8 Oct (ONA) ---- The Sultanate of Oman has expressed its sympathy with Afghanistan on the devastating earthquake that struck western Afghanistan yesterday. In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, Oman expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and the people of Afghanistan, wishing the injured a speedy recovery. --- Ends/AH ...

Foreign Minister Receives Qatari Ambassador Muscat, 8 Oct (ONA) --- Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi received today Sheikh Jassim Abdulrahman Al Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Sultanate of Oman to bid him farewell at the end of his duty. Sayyid Badr thanked the ambassador for his efforts in enhancing relations between Oman and Qatar, wishing him success in his future assignments. --- Ends/AH ...

APSR Issues Statement on Electricity Bills Muscat, 8 Oct (ONA) --- The Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR) followed with interest what was circulated on social media platforms about the soaring electricity bills during the past summer months. Assigned by the Council of Ministers, APSR will conduct a comprehensive review for electricity costs without prejudice to the service quality. The step aims to come up with sustainable alternatives and solutions to address high electricity bills during summer months for the upcoming years. Meanwhile, ...

HH Sayyid Theyazin Visits Riyadh Book FairRiyadh, 6 Oct (ONA) —— HH Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth today visited Riyadh International Book Fair 2023, in which the Sultanate of Oman takes part as a guest of honour.During the visit, HH Sayyid Theyazin was accompanied by Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud, Saudi Minister of Culture.HH Sayyid Theyazin went on tour of various pavilions of the fair, which witnesses wide participation from cultural institutions, as well as local, Arab and international publishing houses.He also toured the Sultanate of ...

Oman to Host Meeting of GCC-EU Joint Ministerial Council’s 27th Session Muscat, 5 Oct (ONA)--- The Sultanate of Oman will host a meeting of the 27th session of the EU-GCC Joint Ministerial Council on 9 and 10 October 2023. The GCC’s side will be headed by Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, while the EU side will be led by Joseph Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The meeting will be attended by GCC Secretary General Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi. More than thirty official delegations representing the ...

Oman Congratulates Morocco, Portugal, Spain on Winning Bid to Host FIFA World Cup 2030 Muscat, 5 Oct (ONA)--- The Sultanate of Oman congratulated Morocco, Portugal and Spain on winning the bid to host FIFA World Cup 2030. Oman also congratulated Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay on obtaining opportunities to host the first matches of the tournament on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the World Cup tournament (Centenary Celebration Matches).In a statement issued today by the Foreign Ministry, Oman expressed its sincere wishes for the success of the global event. It voiced ...

Oman Advances 25 Ranks Up Integrated Index for Postal Development in 2023Riyadh, 5 Oct (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman ranked 6th in the Arab world and 65th internationally in the 2023 Integrated Index for Postal Development (2IPD) and bagged the “Excellence Award” of the same.This was unveiled during Oman’s participation in the 4th Extraordinary Conference of the Universal Postal Union, held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).The Universal Postal Union’s 2IPD index monitors the development of the postal sector in the 172 member states. It measures reliability, access, ...

Foreign Minister Receives Copies of Credentials of Several Ambassadors Muscat, 5 Oct (ONA) --- Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, received here today a copy of credentials of Dirk Lölke, Ambassador-designate of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Sultanate of Oman. Al Busaidi wished the ambassador success in carrying out his duties. He also wished the bilateral relations further development and growth. The Foreign Minister also received a copy of credentials of Raul Hernandez, Ambassador-designate of the Republic of the Philippines to the Sultanate ...

First Conference on Aviation, Engineering, Technology Concludes Muscat, 5 Oct (ONA) --- The first international conference for aerospace sciences, engineering and technology concluded today. The three-day event, which was held at the Military Technological College (MTC) saw the participation of speakers from 16 countries. The participants discussed various research papers and studied experiments and scholarly deliberations about aerodynamics, the development of avionics systems and innovations in emerging technologies. The event was held under the patronage of Air ...

RAFO Officer Honoured for Heroic Venture That Saved Life of AircrewMuscat, 5 Oct (ONA) --- Air Vice Marshal Khamis Hammad Al Ghafri, Commander of the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO), today honoured Wing Commander Majid Saif Al Ma’amari in appreciation for his heroic role in successfully handling an adverse technical situation he faced while performing a training mission. By his composure, tact and prompt action, Wing Commander Al Ma’amari managed to keep flying towards the airstrip and land safely, saving the aircrew and the aircraft.AVM Al Ghafri thanked the officer and ...

Jobseekers Can Contest Medical, Administrative Jobs at Medical City for Military, Security Services Muscat, 5 Oct (ONA) --- The Ministry of Labour today announced the availability of medical and administrative jobs at the “Medical City for Military and Security Services” for jobseekers who are holders of university degrees and post-GED diplomas.Jobseekers who studied medical, humanitarian and information technology specializations can contest the jobs by submitting their applications from today until 16 October 2023 via Tajneed (recruitment) website (taj.mol.gov.om). The ...