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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

NEW YORK, US- President Joe Biden said the United States would keep piling "costs" on Iran despite a prisoner swap deal that freed five Americans on Monday. Biden confirmed that he was imposing new sanctions on Iran's intelligence ministry and former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for their involvement in "wrongful detentions." "Today,...

Muscat, Oman--Annual inflation of Oman has shot up 0.82 percent in August as against 2.4 percent in the same month of last year, according to the country’s National Center for Statistics and Information.  But compared with the previous month, Oman’s inflation rate sunk to its lowest level in 28 months...

Doha, Qatar - The Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) revealed the lists of nine works that would be included in the 9th Katara Prize for Arabic Novel. This includes published novels, unpublished novels, young adult unpublished novels and unpublished critical studies, with a total reaching 36 novels and critical studies, Qatar...

Tehran, Iran - Iran has seized two oil tankers allegedly carrying smuggled fuel in the Gulf and arrested their crews, state television announced on Friday. "The Revolutionary Guards naval forces seized two ships over the course of the last two days," state television said, citing Mohammad-Sharif Shirali, a Guards commander. "The...

The Houthis' visit, expected within the coming days, will raise hopes of a breakthrough in the quagmire conflict that has left hundreds of thousands dead through direct and indirect causes such as famine. It comes five months after Saudi officials held talks in Sanaa, and as a UN-brokered ceasefire continues...

GCC banks experienced robust lending growth during Q2-2023, despite multi-decade high rates from US hikes, with loans from GCC-listed banks hitting a record $1.9 trillion.

Muscat, Oman -- The revenues of 3-5-star hotels in Oman reached RO 122.5 million ($318 million) at the end of July 2023, up by 27.8 percent over the corresponding period in 2022. Statistics issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) show that the total number of hotel...

Muscat, Oman--Oman has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Korea in the field of green energy transition. The MoU reflects the advanced status of bilateral relations and the two countries’ keenness to consolidate cooperation in green transition. The MoU was signed by Eng. Salim Nasser Al Aufi, Minister...

Tehran, Iran -- Iran has expressed its readiness to finalize the provisions of a strategic document on comprehensive cooperation with Oman. In a telephonic conversation, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi exchanged views on issues of mutual interest in bilateral, regional and international arenas....

Amid Russian-Ukrainian war, Europe aims to diversify its energy sources, with Gulf countries like Qatar, UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia offering alternative natural gas options.

TEHRAN, IRAN - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has met with diplomat Assadollah Assadi, recently freed by Belgium in a high-profile prisoner swap case in May, the presidency site said on Saturday. "The claimants of human rights have shown once again that they do not adhere to any law," Raisi said in...

Its cargo revenue recorded a 42% jump in H1 to US$57.9m.

Muscat, Oman-- Oman LNG has signed an agreement with Securing Energy for Europe (SEFE) to supply 400,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas a year from 2026. According to Oman News Agency, the agreement with the German company is based on a four-year contract. “The term-sheet signing with SEFE marks another...

New Delhi, India -- The UAE ranks first among the countries in the world in the employment of Indians, currently employing more than 3.55 million people from the world's most populous country, India's Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, told parliament. The number of Indians in the UAE...

Tehran, Iran -- Oman has said it has been making efforts to facilitate regional and international cooperation by with the active participation of Iran. In a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart on Tuesday, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi referred to the recent talks between Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi...

Muscat, Oman-- Oman's total domestic production of natural gas shot up 2.3 percent to 26.19 billion cubic meters (CBM) until the end of June 2023, as compared to the same period in 2022, when the total amounted to 25.60 billion cubic meters. Statistics issued by the National Center for Statistics...

Muscat, Oman--Oman annual inflation rate reached 0.69 percent by the end of June 2023, according to the monthly consumer price survey data issued by the Oman's National Center for Statistics and Information. The inflation rate was driven by the increase in most of the main groups that make up the...

Tokyo, Japan--Japan's crude oil imports from the United Arab Emirates amounted to 25.63 million barrels in June 2023, or 37.4 percent of total imports, the Natural Resources and Energy Agency of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. During June, Japan's total crude oil imports were 68.5 million barrels,...

TRENDS Infographics explores prominent Arab nations in the latest Global Soft Power Index, with the UAE leading the way by entering the top 10, a first for the Middle East.

Abu Dhabi, UAE - Oman and Etihad Rail Company (OERC) signed a deal with Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel (Jindal) to establish a sustainable end-to-end transport logistics solution between Jindal’s steel complex at Sohar Port and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), via the UAE-Oman Rail Network. The deal is a...

Tehran, Iran - Iran's Revolutionary Guards launched naval drills on Wednesday near strategic Gulf islands controlled by Iran but claimed by the United Arab Emirates, state media said. The manoeuvres, which were being held mainly near Abu Musa island but also around Greater and Lesser Tunb, came two weeks after the...

The country ascends four spots in Kearney's 2023 Global Services Location Index, reflecting its thriving business environment and emergence as a tech hub with 4,000+ startups.

Muscat, Oman-- Oman's inflation rate increased by 2.8 percent in 2022 as the consumers price index (CPI) registered 109.7 points compared to 106.7 points in 2021. According to the data issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), there was a rise in the prices of main groups...

New customers and projects were added in H1 2023.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced on Thursday that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) to expand cooperation and investment between the two entities, enabling new investments in Oman’s rapidly growing economy. The MoU provides incentives for PIF...

Deal will provide firm access to capital in dual currencies.

PIF ranked seventh with a score of 92 (on the GSR score of 100), followed by Mubadala (88), among the SWFs. Regionally, the Middle East saw the biggest improvement from 32 percent in 2020 to 52 percent in 2023. It said Saudi PIF is managing to make its unparalleled growth sustainable by...

Muscat, Oman--Oman's gross domestic product (GDP) at constant prices recorded an increase of 4.7 per cent to reach $22.59 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2023. The GDP at constant price was $21.71 billion in the first quarter of 2022, according to the initial data issued by...

Iran said it was hoping indirect talks with the United States could lead to a "positive" outcome for a prisoner swap. Iran announced earlier this month that it was engaged in Oman-mediated talks with its arch-nemesis the United States over its nuclear deal and a possible prisoner exchange.

MUSCAT, OMAN - Oman announced the seizure of over six million captagon pills during a bust aided by Saudi Arabia that resulted in the arrest of a smuggling network. "In cooperation with Saudi authorities", police in the sultanate tracked and ambushed an "international network that was smuggling large quantities of drugs...

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian's visit to the UAE followed stops in Qatar, Kuwait and Oman -- the latest in a flurry of diplomatic moves by Tehran as it seeks to reduce its isolation, improve its economy and project strength. He discussed "bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation" with UAE President Sheikh...

ran said last week it had been engaged in indirect negotiations with the United States through Oman, with nuclear issues, US sanctions and detainees on the agenda. The following day, Iran's nuclear negotiator said he had met with diplomats from three European countries in Abu Dhabi to discuss a number...

Tehran, Iran-- Looking to give a further boost to the relations between the two countries, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Doha to discuss bilateral relations, as well as major regional and international developments, with high-ranking Qatari officials. Amir-Abdollahian left Tehran for Qatar’s capital late Monday on an official...

MUSCAT, OMAN - Oman’s economic growth is expected to rebound to 2.7 percent in 2024 but will slip in 2023 to 1.3 percent, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Monday. The projections reflect the oil production cuts by OPEC+, moderate growth in the non-hydrocarbon sector and a slowdown in...

Muscat, Oman - The small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are playing a critical role in ushering in Oman's shift towards a low carbon economy, a report released by Tejarah Talks has revealed. The report highlights the significance of eco-innovation, eco-adoption, and eco-entrepreneurship in harnessing the potential of SMEs to contribute...

Muscat, Oman - India and Oman trade in 2022 reached $9.98 billion reflecting the deepening economic and commercial ties between the two nations.  The nearly 90 percent growth in trade compared to the previous year highlights the strong demand for Indian goods and services in Oman, coupled with growing investment...

Iran said it has continued indirect negotiations with the Unites States through the Sultanate of Oman over its nuclear deal and a possible prisoner swap. Iran's nuclear program has long been the subject of scrutiny from Western powers, resulting in sanctions that have crippled the country's economy.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Saudi Arabia and Oman have launched a joint tourist visa to boost trade and investment cooperation in tourism-related projects. The unified tourist visa between the two countries was one of the several initiatives agreed upon at a high-level meeting held between officials of the two countries.  The new...

Muscat, Oman-- Looking to entice investors to the country's fisheries sector, Fisheries Development Oman (FDO) is taking part in Saudi International Marine Exhibition and Conference (SIMEC) event, Aquafish Second Edition, with a plan to highlight Oman's flourishing fishing industry and lucrative investment opportunities it offers. The event, taking place from...

One Dane and two Austrian-Iranian citizens released from detention by Tehran arrived in their home countries, after the latest in a series of prisoner swaps. The three Europeans had landed at Melsbroek military airport just outside Brussels. They had flown there from Muscat, the capital of Oman which helped broker...

Iran released one Danish and two Austrian-Iranian citizens it had been holding after mediation by Oman, and they are being flown to Belgium, said the country's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. This comes a week after Tehran freed a Belgian aid worker in exchange for an Iranian diplomat who was...