Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he would welcome a resumption of diplomatic relations with Egypt, during a meeting with Oman's visiting Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. Ties between Tehran and Cairo soured following the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran and Egypt's recognition of Israel, the Islamic republic's sworn enemy.

His trip comes just two days after Tehran freed Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele from almost 15 months in custody in exchange for diplomat Assadollah Assadi, who was held in Belgium over a 2018 plot to bomb an Iranian opposition rally outside Paris. Oman helped facilitate the prisoner swap

Iran freed Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele after almost 15 months in custody, in a prisoner exchange for an Iranian diplomat convicted of terrorism. Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said the 42-year-old had arrived in Oman and added: "If all goes to plan, he'll be with us this evening....

The new envoy, Alireza Enayati, previously served as Iran's ambassador to Kuwait, assistant to the foreign minister and director general of Gulf affairs at the foreign ministry, the English-language Iran Daily said. There was no immediate confirmation of his appointment from the foreign ministry of the Islamic republic.

Oman has close ties with Iran and played a mediating role between Tehran and Washington in the build-up to a nuclear deal reached in 2015. Stop-start talks began in April last year to restore the deal, after the US unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018, prompting Tehran to roll back...

Alqasmi, who has published four novels and 10 poetry collections, is the first Omani winner of the prize, now in its 16th year. He was announced this year's winner at a ceremony in the United Arab Emirates' capital of Abu Dhabi.

Cairo, Egypt--Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tareq reviewed bilateral relations and regional issues in talks in Cairo on SUnday. The two leaders shared views on the importance of intensifying efforts to protect the interests of Arab peoples, Presidency Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said. Before the summit...

Iran said it is capable of ensuring the safety of the vital Gulf waters in cooperation with neighboring countries. Iran and its neighboring countries are capable of cooperating for the security of the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Sea of Oman," Iran's Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces,...

Manama, Bahrain - Beyon has announced a major investment of more than $250 million in state-of-the-art digital infrastructure in Bahrain which will support the growth of the country’s digital economy.  Batelco, part of the Beyon group, has joined the SEA-ME-WE 6 (Southeast Asia - Middle East - Western Europe) consortium,...

The GCC is the third largest source of foreign investment in Turkey, with 1,973 Gulf companies currently operating in the country.

Muscat, Oman - Moody's has upgraded Oman's credit rating from Ba3 to Ba2 while maintaining a positive outlook due to the reduction in public debt and the improvement in the Sultanate's ability to meet its financial obligations in 2022. This comes after S&P revised Oman's outlook from stable to positive...

Dubai, UAE-- Oman and Etihad Rail Company, the operator of the UAE-Oman Rail Network, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Vale, the Brazilian mining giant, to look at the possibility of using the rail network in the transportation of iron ore. The MoU was signed by Ahmed al...

ABU DHABI, UAE- Oman and Etihad Rail Company signed an agreement with Vale, one of the world’s largest mining companies, to explore utilizing rail to transport iron ore and its derivatives between Oman and the UAE. It is likely to connect Vale’s industrial complex in Sohar Port and Freezone to...

The Kingdom holds 323.1 tons of gold, accounting for 21.4% of the total yellow metal held by central banks in the Arab countries. Qatar, UAE and Kuwait are also regional leaders.

Tehran, Iran-- Oman is keen to improve the military and defense ties with Iran in order to ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman. This was stated by Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tarik in a meeting in Muscat on Tuesday with the visiting...

Muscat, Oman--The Central Bank of Oman (CBO) has raised $36.35 million by way of allotting treasury bills on Tuesday, the bank said in a statement. The statement said the value of the allotted treasury bills amounted to $26 million, for a maturity period of 28 days. The average accepted price...

Muscat, Oman -- Pakistan and Oman have agreed to boost air travel between the two countries' airports, reports said. The agreement came after a series of meetings in the Pakistani capital held by officials from both nations. An Omani delegation, led by Naif Ali Al Abri, Chairman of the Civil...

Muscat, Oman -- ahlibank of Oman has reported a profit of 8.4 million RO ($21.84 million) in the first quarter of 2023, an 11.1 percent increase over the same period in 2022. The customer deposits grew by 7.3 percent, reaching RO 2.33 billion during the first quarter, compared to the...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-- Becht, an American engineering services company, has revealed that it is in talks with potential partners in Saudi Arabia in order to widen its presence in the region. According to its director for the Middle East, Chris Van Der Beek, Becht is also holding discussions with potential...

Previous attacks have been blamed on Somali pirates but they have fallen in recent years as a result of international security operations. Pirate attacks fell to their lowest level in nearly three decades in 2021, according to the International Maritime Bureau watchdog.

The US Navy demanded the immediate release of the tanker, saying it was transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman and slammed Iran's "continued harassment of vessels". It is one of a spate of incidents since 2018, when then US president Donald Trump pulled out of a nuke pact...

Since the beginning of 2023 alone, three digital and physical platforms have been launched by Qatar, Oman and Kuwait to facilitate investments by foreigners and the local private sector.

Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011 over Assad's brutal crackdown of pro-democracy protests. But on Wednesday, in the latest sign of an easing in tensions with Damascus, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad arrived in Jeddah, the first such visit since the war began.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, diplomatically isolated since the start of the Syrian war in 2011, has visited the UAE and Oman over the past two months. An Arab League summit is expected to be held in Riyadh in May.

The delegation's arrival comes roughly a month after China helped broker a surprise rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, fuelling hopes for progress on ending the Yemen conflict that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Omani mediators arrived in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Saturday.

MUSCAT, OMAN  -   Oman Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion on Sunday  issued an order to regulate the activities of consumer cooperatives. The order aims at promoting Omani products, establishing new supply chains, supporting national industries, developing governorates and providing new investment opportunities. The regulation consummates the "National Product...

Nearly a decade of war in Yemen has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, both directly and indirectly, and triggered what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The Huthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, triggering the conflict with the government backed for eight years by...

Reza Noshadi, who heads the National Iranian Gas Company’s engineering subsidiary, said that Iran will be able to export gas to Oman through the 200-kilometer pipeline from Minab to Kuhmobarak.

Sunday's move "caught the markets off guard" and reversed recent oil-price gains, noted ActivTrades analyst Ricardo Evangelista. "With the fizzling out of the banking crisis and the return of optimism to the markets, the price of the barrel was already showing signs of recovering," he noted.

Abu Dhabi, which normalized relations with Assad's government in 2018, has led aid efforts in the aftermath of the February 6 earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, killing tens of thousands. A diplomatic momentum generated by aid efforts in the quake's aftermath could bolster Damascus's relations with Middle...

Muscat, Oman -Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) is set to award solar energy projects worth $777 million to international investors after securing approvals from the Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR). According to media reports, the Manah 1 and 2 projects, which will jointly produce a total of...

Dubai, UAE-- The UAE and Oman have signed an agreement to enhance cooperation in order to preserve environment and encourage sustainable development. In this connection, a UAE delegation, headed by Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, paid a visit to Oman to enhance cooperation in...

On Twitter, the Omani Civil Aviation Authority affirmed that "the Sultanate's airspace is open for all carriers that meet the requirements of the Authority for overflying". Netanyahu visited Oman in 2018 at the invitation of Sultan Qaboos, despite Muscat not officially recognizing Israel. "This is a day of great news...

Sultan Haitham and Assad "held official talks" at the royal palace in Muscat, Oman's foreign ministry said in a statement. The Omani ruler "extended anew his condolences and sincere sympathy to.... the president and to the brotherly Syrian people for the victims of the devastating earthquake", it added.

The annual expansion of more than 100 fuel stations in the Gulf countries add around US$500,000 per day to companies' revenues in each country in the region, say experts.

The merger was settled with Vision Insurance Company’s existing shareholders by Oman Qatar Insurance Company.

The UAE and few other countries figure at the top of the Transparency Index in the region, but this doesn't mean that they have an excellent performance globally, says an expert.

Abu Dhabi, UAE--A joint Oman-UAE military exercise codenamed “Cooperation-3” began in Oman on Monday. The 11-day drill, which concludes on February 16, 2023, saw the participation of a force from Muscat Regiment, Infantry Bridge (23) of the Royal Army of Oman (RAO), and its support divisions, as well as aircraft...

More dams are being built in the region to shield the residents against floods, offer a lifeline during drought and work towards food sufficiency by enhancing agriculture output.

Baghdad, Iraq--Iraq saw the Gulf Cup as a chance to rehabilitate its image after a years-long football hosting ban, but a deadly stampede and organizing gaffes have dampened the cheer despite its home victory. Thursday's stampede outside a football stadium ahead of the cup final in the southern city of Basra...

BAGHDAD, IRAQ - The Civil Aviation Authority announced the work to conclude new air agreements with the Gulf states. A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, Jihad Al-Diwan, told local media agency: "We have agreements with all Gulf countries and all Gulf national carriers that land in Iraqi airports, except for...

Tehran, Iran -- Iran has protested to Iraq over the use of the name "Arabian Gulf" for a regional football competition held in the neighboring country, state media reported Wednesday. The Islamic republic insists the body of water should be called the "Persian Gulf" and has repeatedly raised the issue with...

MUSCAT, OMAN -  UAE Minister of Education Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi and Oman Minister of Education Dr. Madiha bint Ahmed Al Shaibaniyah discussed advancing the cooperation between the two countries in the education sector.   The meeting was held in Muscat and aimed at boosting the coordination and cooperation...

Basra, Iraq--Iraq on Friday welcomed football teams from across the region for the Gulf Cup, ending nearly three decades of repeated bans on international matches in the war-torn and corruption-plagued country. The tournament in the southern city of Basra brings together eight teams, with Friday's opening match seeing the host...

The new agreements will see Oman LNG supplying LNG based on contracts varying from 5 to 10 years.

Muscat, Oman - Saeed bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Omani Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, has said that the digital economy of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region is advancing at a rapid and significant pace, noting its major importance to GDP. He noted the importance of promoting cooperation...

The adoption of digital currencies can help open new business segments as the use of these assets increases with time, Daniel Takieddine, CEO of MENA BDSwiss, tells TRENDS.

Saudi Arabia's GDP witnesses 9.3 percent increase in the third quarter of this year as the rally in oil prices has fuelled economic growth across the Gulf region.

The Gulf countries have highlighted the importance of coordinating and unifying the stances of the regional bloc in all international environmental forums.

Thanks to a strong rebound in domestic activities and higher oil prices, the latest IMF report suggests the GCC economies to expand further than previously expected.