‘Oman offers investors stability, sustainability, and global reach'
MUSCAT: In a world facing growing uncertainty and conflict, Oman is offering investors a rare combination of consistency, openness and long-term opportunity, according to H E Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion.
Speaking at the opening of the Advantage Oman Forum 2025 at the St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat, Al Yousef told a gathering comprising global CEOs that Oman remains a trusted and stable partner at a time when more than 50 active conflicts are destabilising the global landscape.
'In such a world, Oman offers a rare value — consistency, openness, and reliability,' Al Yousef said.
Reflecting on Oman's long history of international engagement, he recalled how Oman sent the first Arab ambassador to the United States in 1844, and continues to act as a quiet but effective bridge between different parts of the world.
The minister said Oman's current transformation, driven by Vision 2040 and what he termed as Renaissance 2.0, is firmly focused on building a diversified, future-ready economy.
He said the country is working towards becoming one of the world's leading green hydrogen producers, aiming to be the sixth largest by 2030.
He also pointed to positive economic indicators, including a GDP growth rate of 3.4 per cent projected for 2025, higher than the global average, and a steady rise in foreign direct investment at an annual growth rate of 18 per cent over the last five years.
Al Yousef said Oman's success is backed by strong governance, transparent policies and a legal system that supports the private sector and protects investments. The minister noted that Oman's sovereign credit rating has been upgraded by S&P Global to BBB- with a stable outlook, underlining growing international confidence in the country's economic fundamentals.
Highlighting Oman's open trade policies, Al Yousef said the country remains committed to expanding international economic partnerships even as protectionism rises elsewhere. He emphasised the value of Oman's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, offering investors a powerful platform to access one of the world's largest markets from a secure and strategically located base.
He said Oman's young, ambitious and globally minded workforce is a key advantage for investors looking at long-term opportunities. 'Our true advantage lies not only in our infrastructure or policies, but in our people,' he said.
© Muscat Media Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arabian Post
a day ago
- Arabian Post
Trade Envoys from US and China to Convene in London Amid Renewed Optimism
Top trade officials from the United States and China are set to meet in London on Monday, 9 June, in a bid to ease escalating tensions over tariffs, technology transfers, and critical mineral exports. The announcement follows a 90-minute phone call between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping, during which both leaders agreed to resume dialogue and expressed cautious optimism about resolving key disputes. Leading the US delegation will be Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The Chinese side has not officially confirmed its delegation, but past rounds have included Vice Premier He Lifeng, Vice Commerce Minister Li Chenggang, and Vice Finance Minister Liao Min. Li, who was appointed as China's International Trade Negotiator in April, has been instrumental in shaping Beijing's response to the ongoing trade conflict. The upcoming talks follow a temporary truce brokered in Geneva on 12 May, where both nations agreed to reduce retaliatory tariffs—previously as high as 145%—to more manageable levels. However, the ceasefire is set to expire on 12 August, adding urgency to the London negotiations. ADVERTISEMENT A central issue on the agenda is the flow of rare earth minerals, which are essential for advanced manufacturing and defence technologies. China's earlier suspension of some rare earth exports to the US had heightened concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities. During their phone call, President Trump stated that President Xi agreed to resume these exports, a move that could alleviate pressure on US manufacturers. However, Beijing has yet to publicly confirm this commitment. The trade dispute has had significant economic repercussions. American businesses have faced increased costs due to tariffs, and a pending lawsuit challenges the legality of these tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The outcome of both the negotiations and the legal case could significantly influence future US trade policy and economic relations with China. President Trump has expressed optimism about the upcoming talks, stating, 'The meeting should go very well.' However, the complexity of the issues at hand suggests that reaching a comprehensive agreement may require sustained effort and compromise from both sides.
Al Etihad
a day ago
- Al Etihad
China allows limited exports of rare earths as shortages continue
7 June 2025 09:39 BEIJING (THE NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE)China's Ministry of Commerce has started issuing more export licenses for shipments of rare earth magnets in recent days, but the pace remains factories in the automotive sector and other industries in Europe and the United States, and a few in Japan, are running low on the makes 90% of the world's supply of these magnets, which are essential for cars, drones, factory robots, missiles and many other a 90-minute call Thursday with Chinese PresidentXi Jinping, US President Donald Trump wrote on social media that the two men had discussed rare earths. Trump mentioned that rare earths were a complex subject, but did not indicate whether anything had been decided about China's strict export licensing requirement, which Beijing imposed April wrote on social media Friday that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US trade representative Jamieson Greer would hold further economic talks Monday in London with top Chinese Trump was asked later on Air Force One whether Xi had agreed to allow rare earth minerals and magnets to flow to the US, Trump replied, 'Yes, he did,' but did not statement Thursday about the call did not mention rare earths, however. Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, declined to answer a question about the minerals Friday at the ministry's daily briefing, saying that it was a matter for other Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Thursday before the two leaders spoke only that it would issue export licenses according to its new rules, introduced two months US and European chambers of commerce in China each said Friday that somewhat more export licenses had been issued in recent days. But both groups emphasised that more were needed, as the Ministry of Commerce faces a huge backlog of detailed applications for licenses. Rare earth metals, a group of 17 elements found near the bottom of the periodic table, have a wide range of industrial applications. China produces practically the entire world's supply of seven of the least common rare earths, including three that are crucial in making powerful, heat-resistant magnets.
Al Etihad
3 days ago
- Al Etihad
UAE tops region for most skilled workforce, says report
6 June 2025 01:39 ISIDORA CIRIC (ABU DHABI)The UAE workforce is the most skilled in the Middle East and North Africa, according to Coursera's latest report. The country also leads the Arab world across all major categories, including business, technology, data skills, and AI maturity, positioning itself as the region's leading hub for digital readiness and Global Skills Report 2025, published by Coursera on Wednesday, draws from the learning activity of more than 170 million users worldwide and benchmarks performance across over 100 accompanying AI Maturity Index provides a broader view, factoring in academic publications and metrics from the IMF and OECD to measure national progress in AI research, innovation, and UAE ranked 38th globally overall, 17th in business, 46th in data, 53rd in technology, and 32nd in AI maturity, making it the top performer in the Arab world across all four categories, and first in MENA when it comes to overall skills readiness.'The UAE is positioning itself for a tech-driven future, with 87% of employers emphasising technological literacy, AI, and big data as their top priorities,' the report said, linking the country's performance to its national efforts to transition into a knowledge-based economy powered by skilled Emirati country also boasts the highest rate of Coursera learners in the region, with 13% of its labour force actively engaged on the platform. As the total learner base reaches 1.3 million, the UAE's appetite for digital skills shows no signs of slowing to the report, GenAI course enrolments alone surged by 344% year on year — more than double the regional growth rate — while professional certificate and cybersecurity enrolments jumped by 41% and 14%, are playing an increasingly active role in this transition, accounting for 21% of GenAI learners in the UAE, 24% of those enrolled in STEM-related fields, and 23% in professional certificate programmes. Learning habits reflect a younger, mobile-first generation, with 41% of users accessing courses via mobile, and a median learner age of the employer side, demand is rising sharply for expertise in AI and machine learning (up 139%) and customer service (up 96%), while top learner skills in the UAE ranged from corporate accounting and predictive analytics to emerging technologies and leadership development. The UAE's broader economic and policy frameworks are a key driver of this momentum, the report said, pointing out the We the UAE 2031 strategy and workforce development programmes like Nafis, which 'are exceeding private-sector employment targets' and form part of a national vision for a tech-enabled society centred around innovation and competencies. Building on this foundation, the country deployed a wider set of strategies, such as UAE Vision 2030, the Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Emirates Blockchain Strategy, and the UAE Centennial 2071, to support the growth and prosperity of future-focused business sectors.
