India-Oman Relations: Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Leaves Singapore, Heads To India

His Majesty Haitham bin Tarik, the Sultan and Prime Minister of Oman, left Singapore on Friday morning heading to India for a three-day state visit. He is set to arrive with a high-level delegation of senior ministers and officials, noted the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The Oman Sultan’s state visit follows an invitation from Droupadi Murmu, the President of India. It will be his first trip to India, representing a key moment in the diplomatic relations between the two countries, as per the MEA’s official release dated December 10.

Exploring Avenues For Future Collaboration

On December 16, His Majesty will be received by President Murmu and Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for a ceremonial welcome. He will hold bilateral discussions with PM Modi who will also host a luncheon in his honour.

India and Oman share a longstanding history of friendship and cooperation. The Oman Sultan’s three-day trip is expected to provide an opportunity to explore avenues for future collaboration between the two countries for regional stability, progress and prosperity.

On the state visit, His Majesty will also be called on the External Affairs Minister of India, S Jaishankar. The year 1955 saw the establishment of diplomatic ties between the friendly nations. The relations got upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2008.

Oman Home To Large Indian Expatriate Community

Notably, Indian prime ministers have regularly visited Oman, including Rajiv Gandhi in 1985, PV Narasimha Rao in 1993, Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1998 and Dr Manmohan Singh in 2008. The current PM, Narendra Modi, visited the GCC member in 2018.

Read More: GCC’s E-commerce Market Records Growth As More People Shop Online

Oman is home to a large Indian expatriate community, playing a significant role in the country’s economic development and cultural diversity. The Indian diaspora in Oman has grown substantially, exceeding a staggering 700,000 people in the post-pandemic era.