Botswana eyes energy and mining deals with Oman

MUSCAT: President Duma Gideon Boko of the Republic of Botswana visited the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) on Tuesday to explore new investment partnerships as part of his official visit to the Sultanate of Oman.
President Boko was welcomed by Abdulsalam bin Mohammed al Murshidi, Chairman of Oman Investment Authority (OIA), who presented an overview of the Authority’s global investment portfolio, governance model and sectoral allocations both inside and outside Oman.
During the visit, several OIA-affiliated companies presented key investment opportunities in sectors such as clean energy (wind, solar and green hydrogen), mining, logistics and food production — areas that hold strong potential for mutual cooperation between Oman and Botswana.
The discussions also explored how Botswana could benefit from Oman’s experience in establishing and managing a sovereign wealth fund with robust governance and sustainable investment practices, aimed at strengthening Botswana’s institutional capacity in this domain.
President Boko highlighted that Botswana is one of Africa’s most promising economies and the world’s leading diamond producer by value, with a high credit rating and strong economic fundamentals. He said the visit builds on talks held in July, which led to a Memorandum of Understanding now being activated across several sectors.
“The visit seeks to deepen cooperation in energy, mining, infrastructure, investment and financial services”, Boko said. He added that Botswana plans to open an embassy in Oman soon and is coordinating with Omani authorities to introduce mutual visa exemptions to enhance tourism and business mobility.
For his part, Al Murshidi said both sides share a genuine interest in economic integration, particularly in food security, where Oman could import red meat from Botswana and export fish and fish-based products in return.
He added that discussions also covered energy and logistics cooperation, noting that both nations are keen to establish sustainable and diversified economic links that benefit their respective development goals. — ONA