Oman Sultan Set for Three-Day State Visit to India

Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the Head of State of the Sultanate of Oman, is scheduled to embark on a three-day state visit to India, accompanied by a distinguished delegation of senior ministers and officials, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The visit underscores the enduring friendship between India and Oman, grounded in deep-rooted historical, cultural, and economic connections. Additionally, the longstanding people-to-people contact between the two nations can be traced back over 5,000 years.

The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1955, and the relationship was upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2008. According to MEA, this will be the first state visit of Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to India and marks a significant milestone in the diplomatic relations between India and the Sultanate of Oman. Upon arrival here in the national capital tomorrow, Oman's Sultan will also be called on by the External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, the MEA said.

Upon the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu, the Sultan of Oman is scheduled to visit India, where he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan by both Prime Minister Modi and President Murmu. On the second day of his visit, he is slated to visit the National Gallery of Modern Art and engage in a meeting with Prime Minister Modi at Hyderabad House. A luncheon hosted by PM Modi in his honor is also part of the itinerary. The visit is viewed as an opportune moment to explore potential collaborations between India and Oman, aiming at regional stability, progress, and prosperity, as highlighted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Oman marked a significant chapter in bilateral relations between the two countries. Oman is also home to a large and vibrant Indian expatriate community, playing a crucial role in Oman's economic development and cultural diversity. The Indian diaspora in Oman has grown substantially, surpassing 700,000 individuals in the post-pandemic era. Additionally, the diaspora includes a substantial presence of blue-collar workers.

India's closest defense ally in the Gulf region is Oman, and the collaboration in defense has become a pivotal aspect of the strategic partnership between the two nations. Oman holds a unique position as the sole West Asian country engaging in regular bilateral exercises and service-level staff talks with all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces. Strengthening the ties further, India extended a special invitation to the Sultanate of Oman to join the G-20 Summit and associated meetings as a guest country during India's G20 Presidency. Oman actively contributed to over 150 working group meetings, with nine ministers from Oman participating in various G20.