Salalah hosts Oman-Russia talks to boost tourism, business ties

Participants emphasised strengthening Dhofar’s position as a competitive tourism and investment hub

SALALAH: Salalah recently hosted the Oman-Russia Meeting 2026, bringing together government officials and private sector representatives from Oman and the Russian Federation to explore deeper cooperation in tourism and investment, with hospitality and housing also on the agenda.
The discussions highlighted Dhofar's growing appeal as a destination with unique competitive advantages, driven by its natural diversity, expanding logistics links, and a pipeline of investable projects spanning tourism, urban planning, hotel services and supporting economic sectors.
A structured programme featured presentations and working papers detailing the governorate’s development priorities and areas open to private-sector participation.
Key sessions included an overview of Dhofar’s assets, investment opportunities, and enabling factors, alongside a presentation from the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism highlighting tourism prospects. Specialised inputs covered tourism and housing, reflecting Dhofar’s broader development and quality-of-life initiatives.

Participants emphasised strengthening Dhofar’s position as a competitive tourism and investment hub through closer coordination between government bodies and businesses, aiming to develop new tourism products, enhance visitor experiences and diversify international source markets.
Air connectivity with the Russian market featured prominently. The meeting reviewed recent promotional and market-development initiatives, including training programmes, familiarisation visits, and workshops with Russian travel agencies to support package development and sales channels. Direct flights to Salalah through strategic partnerships with major Russian and CIS tour operators are expected to boost visitor flows and strengthen demand across hotels, resorts and tourism services, particularly during peak seasons.
On urban development, attendees discussed projects supporting city growth and quality of life in Dhofar, highlighting opportunities linked to housing, services and broader investment activity.
The programme also included B2B meetings between Omani and Russian companies in travel, tour operations, hospitality and tourism services, fostering practical partnerships and joint programmes tailored to the Russian market.
The meeting concluded with participants reaffirming that Dhofar offers an increasingly attractive environment for tourism and investment, underpinned by its strategic location, distinctive natural assets, improving infrastructure and growing pipeline of strategic projects.