MUSCAT: The Oman-China Friendship Association was inaugurated on 31 October 2010 to serve as a platform for communication between institutions and individuals in the two countries and to promote cultural, economic, scientific and sporting cooperation and people-to-people exchange. Its work complements that of China-Oman Friendship Society, whose establishment was announced in China in 2007.
The Association strengthens informal partnership through events such as Oman-China Friendship and Cooperation Forums - including the third edition, held in Salalah in July 2025 under the theme "Chinese Modernization and Oman Vision 2040" - as well as meetings with Omani students in China and other cultural seminars and events.
Lujaina bint Mohsen bin Haider Darwish, Honorary President of Oman-China Friendship Association, said that she views the state visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to China with great interest, given what it signals about the strength of Omani-Chinese relations and the opportunity it presents to elevate them to broader levels of cooperation and partnership. She expressed the hope that it will inaugurate a new phase serving common interests and opening promising horizons for both countries.
She explained that the coming phase offers wide scope for building quality, long-term partnerships founded on mutual investment, knowledge and technology transfer, the exchange of expertise and the leveraging of both countries' assets to advance sustainable development. She noted multiple opportunities and promising potential in logistics, industry, renewable energy, technology, tourism, food security and the green economy - fields that can form important pillars of the future partnership.
She said that she looks forward to the visit giving more momentum to Chinese investment in Oman and helping to attract quality, sustainable projects that draw on the Sultanate of Oman’s strategic location and investment assets, supporting economic diversification and delivering added value to both sides.
She pointed out that the Association seeks to act as an effective bridge between the two peoples by promoting cultural and social exchange, bringing the two business communities closer together and encouraging joint initiatives and opportunities, in support of official efforts and in contribution to cementing friendship and cooperation between Oman and China.
Bilateral meetings between Omani and Chinese businesspeople provide scope to explore cooperation in priority sectors and build strategic partnerships between the two private sectors, helping to expand trade, attract quality investment and open new horizons for economic cooperation in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 and the common interests of the two friendly countries.
Faisal bin Alawi al Dheeb, an Omani businessman, investor and real estate developer, said the state visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to China represents an important milestone in strengthening economic and investment relations between the two countries and opening new horizons for Omani businesspeople to build quality trade and investment partnerships with their Chinese counterparts, supporting economic diversification and the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
He affirmed that such visits will give a strong impetus to cooperation between businesspeople in the two countries, particularly given Oman's competitive investment assets, foremost among them its strategic geographical location, its ports and economic and free zones, and its advanced infrastructure and incentivising investment environment.
He noted that China is among the world's foremost economic and industrial powers, with extensive expertise in manufacturing, technology, infrastructure, real estate development and renewable energy - offering substantial opportunities for Omani companies to benefit from these capabilities and establish partnerships founded on mutual interest and economic integration.
He added that the real opportunity for Omani businesspeople lies not only in increasing trade with China but in building direct industrial and investment partnerships, attracting Chinese companies to establish factories and joint production projects in Oman, and thereby localising modern industries, transferring technology and knowledge and creating quality jobs for national talent.
He stressed the importance of Omani businesspeople being ready to seize the opportunities presented by high-level visits and meetings by preparing well-studied, implementable projects and presenting them to Chinese companies within clear models for partnership, financing and operation, so that investment interest is translated into concrete agreements and projects.
Sean, a Chinese investor who established his company in Suhar Free Zone in 2022, affirmed that Oman offers an attractive and secure business environment for foreign investors, supported by government facilities, flexible procedures and incentive policies that help accelerate project establishment and sustain commercial activity.
He said that his company's registration was completed within a short period thanks to the support and cooperation of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, which enabled him to complete establishment requirements and settle in Sohar Free Zone.
He added that, after the company was established, the Free Zone management referred him to Invest Oman office to learn about incentives and preferential policies available to foreign investors, noting that the office plays an important role in supporting investors and helping companies across sectors benefit from the advantages and facilities offered by Oman's investment environment.
He explained that the cooperation of Omani government entities with investors reflects the Sultanate of Oman’s keenness to create an incentivising and flexible business environment, affirming that establishing projects in free zones is a suitable investment option given the advantages on offer, including tax incentives and policies supportive of economic activity. — ONA
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