Royal Decree entrusts Foreign Ministry with 42 main tasks
Strengthens Oman's diplomatic influence on the global stage
Published: 07:03 PM,Mar 03,2025 | EDITED : 11:03 PM,Mar 03,2025
Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister
MUSCAT: Royal Decree No 21/2025 specified the specialisations of the Foreign Ministry which include 42 main tasks aimed at enhancing the role of the Sultanate of Oman at regional and international levels.
The most prominent among these tasks include establishing, maintaining and preserving diplomatic relations in a manner that serves the interests of the Sultanate of Oman, enhancing international cooperation by building and strengthening friendship and cooperation relations with countries and peoples of the world, taking care of the interests of the Sultanate of Oman with countries and regional and international organisations, encouraging dialogue between countries and resolving disputes through peaceful means, monitoring political events and following up on regional and international developments, and laying down the country’s political positions and presenting them before international forums.
Speaking on the Royal Decrees, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, said that the two Royal Decrees defining the competencies of the Foreign Ministry and issuing the Law of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps keep pace with the requirements of the stage and the path of Omani diplomacy and enhancing its effective presence on the global stage, and reflect the wise vision that serves Oman and its international relations.
The Foreign Ministry’s tasks include evaluating international relations by assessing the course of bilateral and multilateral relations between the Sultanate of Oman and regional and international countries and organisations, exploring the capabilities and resources of countries and evaluating them in a way that serves the country’s interest, cooperating with the relevant authorities to promote investment and enhance trade exchange and exports, coordinating with government agencies and legal persons to develop economic and technical cooperation with countries and international organisations, providing the units of the state’s administrative apparatus with requisite information.
The ministry’s powers also include expressing an opinion and coordinating with government agencies before entering into international conventions and agreements as well as participating in external conferences and negotiations between the Sultanate of Oman and other countries.
The Foreign Ministry should participate in updating national legislation related to the obligations and foreign relations of the Sultanate of Oman, contributing to the preparation of international conventions, treaties and memoranda of understanding, issuing authorisation documents to participate in foreign conferences, signing international conventions and treaties, taking necessary measures to issue Royal Decrees to ratify international treaties, preserving the original international treaties and agreements to which the Sultanate of Oman is a party, supervising the enforcement of laws, charters and international and regional treaties in coordination with the relevant authorities.
The tasks also include supervising Omani missions abroad and directing their work in accordance with national interests, taking care of the affairs of Omani citizens abroad, coordinating the issuance of passports to Omani citizens abroad, nominating ambassadors and consuls and following up on their appointment and transfer and recommending their dismissal from their positions or relieving them from their positions, nominating honorary consuls of the Sultanate of Oman abroad and following up on their appointment procedures, and receiving and following up on documents related to the nominations of representatives of diplomatic and consular missions and regional and international offices.
As per the Royal Decree, the Foreign Ministry’s specialisations include facilitating the tasks of diplomatic and consular missions and offices accredited to the Sultanate of Oman, recommending approval of countries’ nominations for honorary consuls in the Sultanate of Oman, performing the work of a notary public through the Sultanate of Oman’s missions abroad in accordance with the law, organising the establishment of friendship committees or associations with other countries, the Friends of Oman Association, overseeing the diplomatic quarter and ensuring the provision of its security and health requirements.
The Foreign Ministry’s tasks include supervising the Diplomatic Academy, developing its training programmes, preparing diplomatic and scientific studies, supervising the Diplomatic Club and developing its financial sustainability, and holding appropriate events. This is in addition to overseeing the implementation of work related to combating human trafficking, spreading public awareness, organising matters related to diplomatic privileges and immunities in accordance with international agreements, arranging official visits by kings and heads of state, determining the rules of diplomatic residence and organising the rules related to political asylum.
These tasks also include participating in bilateral committees with other countries, and multilateral committees to which the Sultanate of Oman is a party as well as organising and presiding over arbitration committees in international cases to which the Sultanate of Oman is a party, attesting documents issued by units of the state’s administrative apparatus as well as the private sector in the Sultanate of Oman or the documents attested by Oman's missions abroad.
The ministry’s specialisations also include determining the fees due for attestation of certificates and documents by Omani missions or accredited missions, proposing draft laws and Royal Decrees, issuing regulations and decisions related to the ministry’s specialisations and performing any other tasks stipulated by laws and Royal Decrees.
The most prominent among these tasks include establishing, maintaining and preserving diplomatic relations in a manner that serves the interests of the Sultanate of Oman, enhancing international cooperation by building and strengthening friendship and cooperation relations with countries and peoples of the world, taking care of the interests of the Sultanate of Oman with countries and regional and international organisations, encouraging dialogue between countries and resolving disputes through peaceful means, monitoring political events and following up on regional and international developments, and laying down the country’s political positions and presenting them before international forums.
Speaking on the Royal Decrees, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, said that the two Royal Decrees defining the competencies of the Foreign Ministry and issuing the Law of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps keep pace with the requirements of the stage and the path of Omani diplomacy and enhancing its effective presence on the global stage, and reflect the wise vision that serves Oman and its international relations.
The Foreign Ministry’s tasks include evaluating international relations by assessing the course of bilateral and multilateral relations between the Sultanate of Oman and regional and international countries and organisations, exploring the capabilities and resources of countries and evaluating them in a way that serves the country’s interest, cooperating with the relevant authorities to promote investment and enhance trade exchange and exports, coordinating with government agencies and legal persons to develop economic and technical cooperation with countries and international organisations, providing the units of the state’s administrative apparatus with requisite information.
The ministry’s powers also include expressing an opinion and coordinating with government agencies before entering into international conventions and agreements as well as participating in external conferences and negotiations between the Sultanate of Oman and other countries.
The Foreign Ministry should participate in updating national legislation related to the obligations and foreign relations of the Sultanate of Oman, contributing to the preparation of international conventions, treaties and memoranda of understanding, issuing authorisation documents to participate in foreign conferences, signing international conventions and treaties, taking necessary measures to issue Royal Decrees to ratify international treaties, preserving the original international treaties and agreements to which the Sultanate of Oman is a party, supervising the enforcement of laws, charters and international and regional treaties in coordination with the relevant authorities.
The tasks also include supervising Omani missions abroad and directing their work in accordance with national interests, taking care of the affairs of Omani citizens abroad, coordinating the issuance of passports to Omani citizens abroad, nominating ambassadors and consuls and following up on their appointment and transfer and recommending their dismissal from their positions or relieving them from their positions, nominating honorary consuls of the Sultanate of Oman abroad and following up on their appointment procedures, and receiving and following up on documents related to the nominations of representatives of diplomatic and consular missions and regional and international offices.
As per the Royal Decree, the Foreign Ministry’s specialisations include facilitating the tasks of diplomatic and consular missions and offices accredited to the Sultanate of Oman, recommending approval of countries’ nominations for honorary consuls in the Sultanate of Oman, performing the work of a notary public through the Sultanate of Oman’s missions abroad in accordance with the law, organising the establishment of friendship committees or associations with other countries, the Friends of Oman Association, overseeing the diplomatic quarter and ensuring the provision of its security and health requirements.
The Foreign Ministry’s tasks include supervising the Diplomatic Academy, developing its training programmes, preparing diplomatic and scientific studies, supervising the Diplomatic Club and developing its financial sustainability, and holding appropriate events. This is in addition to overseeing the implementation of work related to combating human trafficking, spreading public awareness, organising matters related to diplomatic privileges and immunities in accordance with international agreements, arranging official visits by kings and heads of state, determining the rules of diplomatic residence and organising the rules related to political asylum.
These tasks also include participating in bilateral committees with other countries, and multilateral committees to which the Sultanate of Oman is a party as well as organising and presiding over arbitration committees in international cases to which the Sultanate of Oman is a party, attesting documents issued by units of the state’s administrative apparatus as well as the private sector in the Sultanate of Oman or the documents attested by Oman's missions abroad.
The ministry’s specialisations also include determining the fees due for attestation of certificates and documents by Omani missions or accredited missions, proposing draft laws and Royal Decrees, issuing regulations and decisions related to the ministry’s specialisations and performing any other tasks stipulated by laws and Royal Decrees.