Australia qualified for next year's World Cup in North America while Oman ended Palestine's hopes of a first appearance at the finals with a last-gasp draw on Tuesday.

Iran has said it will present a counter-proposal to the latest draft from Washington, which it had criticised for failing to offer sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday began a two-day visit to Oman, which is mediating ongoing nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.

Iran and the United States will hold the next round of talks on the Islamic republic's nuclear programme in Rome later this week, Tehran and mediator Oman said Wednesday.

Iran and the United States wrapped up nuclear talks in Oman on Sunday with no apparent breakthrough in a public standoff over enrichment, but with both sides confirming plans for future negotiations.

Western countries including the United States have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons - an allegation Tehran has consistently denied, insisting that its programme is for peaceful civilian purposes.

Analysts had said the US would push to include on the agenda discussions over Iran's ballistic missile programme, along with Tehran's support for the "axis of resistance" -- a network of militant groups opposed to Israel.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who briefly spoke face-to-face with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff during the indirect meeting in Oman, said the talks would resume next Saturday.

Iran seeks a "real and fair" agreement with Washington on its nuclear programme, a senior aide to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Friday, setting the stage for a diplomatic showdown this weekend in Oman.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - When US and Iranian negotiators meet in Oman on Saturday they will be just the latest to turn to crisis mediation in the Gulf Arab states, whose wealthy rulers are increasingly seeking out the role. Oman is a long-established venue for Iranian talks, while promoting...

Trump's language represented a sharpening of his comment a few days earlier that if Tehran refused to negotiate a new nuclear agreement, "bad, bad things are going to happen to Iran."

Saudi Arabia and some other Gulf Arab states are to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday from Sunday but other Middle Eastern countries will not do so until Monday.

Muscat, Oman – Oman on Tuesday launched its New Nation Brand at the World Economic Forum in Davos in an effort towards enhancing the country’s global image.  “The launch of the New Oman Nation Brand at Davos represents Oman's commitment to the world as a cooperative and trustworthy partner,” a...

While developing countries paid a record US$1.4 trillion to service debts, the non-oil sectors in the GCC countries are fueling growth and diversification,

Oil prices shoot up as Biden suggests that Israel might target Iranian oil facilities, while GCC Arab states, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, reassure Iran of neutrality in the conflict between Tehran and Israel.

 The volume of bilateral trade between the Sultanate of Oman and the People’s Republic of China has increased 8% in the first five months of 2024 to reach over US$15bn, compared to the corresponding period in 2023, Zawa reported.This was revealed by the Chargé d’Affaires in the Chinese Embassy in...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Wego, the leading travel app and largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), has reported a significant increase in travel interest to India in the first half of 2024. Data from January to June 2024 shows a 40.71% year-on-year rise in...

Oman witnesses a 16.4% growth in passenger traffic in early 2024The Sultanate of Oman’s aviation sector has experienced remarkable growth in the initial four months of 2024. According to the data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the country witnessed a significant surge in both passenger traffic...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- Global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions "most likely" exacerbated the intense rains that lashed the UAE and Oman last week, causing deaths and widespread flooding, an expert group of scientists said Thursday.Extreme rainfall in El Nino years has become 10-40 percent heavier in the region...

Dubai, the Middle East's financial center, was paralyzed by the heavy storms that caused widespread flooding around the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Flagship shopping centers Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both suffered flooding and water was ankle-deep at least one Dubai Metro station.

Flooding hit many areas of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, and cut off major roads, snarling traffic and leaving cars stranded.

Vast swathes of land across the desert region are seeing the sprouting of new special zones to entice big business to set up shop. But can the model work to power the GCC economy?

MUSCAT, OMAN – As part of its investment solutions and Sharia-compliant products and services, ahli islamic, ahlibank’s Islamic banking window, introduced the first of its kind Islamic Money Market Fund in the Sultanate.ahli islamic customers now have the opportunity to invest and gain exposure to attractive local and regional profit...

Tokyo, Japan--The UAE exported 44.1 percent, namely 31.3 million barrels, of Japan's crude oil needs in February 2024, according to the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy in Tokyo.The agency, part of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, stated that the amount of crude that Japan imported during...

Net profit grew by 13.1 percent compared to 2022

MUSCAT, OMAN – The Central Bank of Oman (CBO) has announced that the total issuance of Treasury Bills amounted to US$181 million (RO 70 million) this week.According to the Oman News Agency (ONA), the value of the allotted Treasury Bills amounted to US$12.9 million (RO 5 million) for a maturity...

Amman, Jordan--Jordan and Oman have signed a raft of agreements to boost direct investment in both the countries.The first memorandum of understanding (MoU), which was signed by the ministries of investment of Jordan and Oman's ministry of trade, industry, and investment promotion, called for cooperation between the two parties in...

MUSCAT, OMAN - Omani banks listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) recorded net profits of US$1.17 billion (RO453.5 million) in 2023, up 18.6 percent from US$992 million (RO382.3 million) in 2022.According to the Oman News Agency, the banking sector benefited from several local economic indicators in 2023, including economic...

Muscat, Oman--The Oman Investment Authority (OIA) has unveiled a new fund called “Future Fund Oman” valued at US$5.19 billion.The fund will serve a wide range of investment categories, develop the national economy and attract foreign investments.According to the Oman News Agency (ONA), According to the Oman News Agency (ONA), Future...

"First of all, they are not proportional. All of these constitute disproportionate use of force," Erdogan told journalists after Friday prayers in Istanbul. Oman, a mediator in attempts to end Yemen's long-running civil war, expressed its "worry" at the strikes on Houthi rebel military targets that, according to the Houthis,...

The announcement came hours after a British-navy maritime security agency said armed men boarded the Greek-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged St Nikolas off Oman and changed course towards Bandar-e-Jask in Iran. Four or five "unauthorized boarders are reported to be wearing military-style black uniforms with black masks", the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations...

Oman emerges top performer in the GCC region.

MUSCAT, OMAN - As part of its ongoing efforts to support the Islamic banking industry, ahli Islamic signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI).The primary goal is to reinforce collaboration in capacity building within ahli Islamic and foster the growth...

MUSCAT, OMAN - Maisarah Islamic Banking Services, Islamic window of BankDhofar, acted as an Issue Manager for the Sovereign Sukuk Series 7 issuance on behalf of the government.The Sukuk-Al-Ijara structure has a seven-year maturity and was conducted through private placement to sophisticated investors in Oman.The issuance has been listed on...

In 2023, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait collectively advanced in technology and sustainable development, achieving global integration.

Muscat, Oman - Oman's achieved a 15.4% year-on-year sector growth, as reported by the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI). The growth revolves around a rapidly evolving landscape, propelled by strategic investments and diversification endeavors.Maritime freight was at the forefront, commanding a significant 54.8 percent share of all inbound...

Hong Kong - The government of Oman’s targets to expand local green hydrogen production could support key credit metrics, such as GDP, fiscal revenue and the balance of payments, over the long term against the backdrop of the global energy transition, says Fitch Ratings.Uncertainty around potential outcomes remains high at this...

Dubai, UAE – Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai, have secured top positions for residential property investment in 2024, the inaugural "Housearch Investment Index" highlighted in its report. The trend underscores the region's appeal as a stable and reliable investment haven, especially amidst cooling property markets in...

Muscat, Oman -- Oman's revenues for the nine-month period of 2023 declined 17 percent to 9.8 billion riyals ($25.45 billion), compared to 11.86 billion riyals for the same period in 2022.The financial performance bulletin issued by the Omani Ministry of Finance today indicated that the net oil revenues until the...

The UAE plays a pivotal role as IRENA headquarters and key renewable energy hub, Dr Nawal Al Hosany, the permanent representative of the UAE to IRENA, tells TRENDS.

Tehran, Iran – Iran and Oman have signed two memoranda of understanding to boost bilateral cooperation and using their national currencies in mutual trade instead of the dollar, mehrnews reported on Thursday.The MoUs were signed between Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Abbas Aliabadi, and Oman’s Minister of Commerce,...

The Gulf Railway aiming for completion by 2030, will link GCC nations with a comprehensive rail network, marking a new era in regional transportation and economic integration.

Fujairah, UAE - High in remote mountains in the oil-rich Emirates, a new plant will soon take atmospheric CO2 and pump it into rock -- part of controversial attempts to target planet-heating emissions without abandoning fossil fuels.Using novel technology developed by Omani start-up 44.01, the solar-powered plant will suck carbon dioxide...

Muscat, Oman--Oman LNG has entered into a sale-and-purchase agreement (SPA) with BP to deliver a total of 1 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG to BP.The agreement strengthens the robust relationship between Oman LNG and BP, with which the company has previously signed SPAs to supply reliable energy...

A report by S&P Global Ratings forecasts improved fiscal positions due to higher oil prices, fiscal consolidation and a robust non-hydrocarbon activity.

Dubai, UAE - The much-anticipated Hindi-language action film Tiger 3, starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, has reportedly been banned in Gulf states Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar. Released on the occasion of Diwali, the film has marked its entry into the record books as the highest-grossing Diwali day release.While the...

Oman, a minor oil producer compared with its neighbours the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, is moving quickly in its project to revive the forests that once covered the country, but died out thousands of years ago because of climatic changes.

Leading Arab opposition to Israel's planned invasion of the Gaza Strip, Saudi Arabia has denounced "any ground operations" due to the threat posed to Palestinian civilians. The kingdom's foreign ministry cautioned against the danger of continuing to "carry out these blatant and unjustified violations of international law against the brotherly...

Sochi, Russia -.Starting in 2024, travelers from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Malaysia  and Bahrain may no longer need tourist visas to visit Russia,  Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Vakhrukov said on the sidelines of the FTT-2023 Forum of Tourism Territories, Tass reported."I reckon this could happen next year. We...

Kuwait City, Kuwait--The art exhibition titled "Oman in the Heart of Kuwait" was inaugurated at the Kuwaiti Syndicate of Media and Artists on Saturday, emphasizing the deep historical and cultural ties between the Sultanate of Oman and the State of Kuwait.Oman's Ambassador to Kuwait, Saleh Al-Kharusi, who presided over the...