Why Oman is Middle East Stronghold for Belarus

Minsk-Muscat Cooperation. Today, the President of Belarus will hold talks with the Sultan of Oman. Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said will arrive in Belarus on an official visit.

The agenda will include the implementation of the agreements reached in December 2024 during Alexander Lukashenko's visit to Muscat. They will discuss promising areas and ways to deepen cooperation in various fields. The main focus is trade and economic cooperation. Following the talks, a number of documents are planned to be signed.

While some Belarusians are packing their bags for Oman, where temperatures are currently at least 30°C (98°F), the peak season, and seemingly eternal summer, and direct flights from Minsk allow for comfortable travel, Oman's top leadership is visiting us.

Soon, the Sultan, the head of state, is expected at the Independence Palace. In Oman, he is the Prime Minister, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. For almost six years, the Sultanate of Oman has been led by Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. In 2020, he succeeded Sultan Qaboos, the Arab world's longest-serving monarch, at five decades.

But it was thanks to him that Oman, from an isolated enclave, transformed itself into such a developed nation that it entered the world's top tier for living standards. And it only took Oman 50 years to achieve this. It's not without a rich natural resource base (after all, the economy is based on oil and gas production), but still, half a century ago, Oman had no roads, hospitals, or schools. And now, public transportation isn't even needed. It's simply unnecessary, since everyone has their own car, healthcare is completely free, education is just as good, including higher education, and the standard of living is simply high.

It was with Qaboos that our Belarusian President began to establish bilateral relations. Back in 2007, Alexander Lukashenko made his first visit to Oman.

Almost 20 years later (at the end of 2024), the President is back in Muscat to intensify our economic ties and launch specific projects in the real sector.

Logistics was the focus back then. Oman is the gateway to the Persian Gulf. Its logistical role in the Middle East is difficult to overestimate. And for us, it provides a convenient gateway for our goods to the Indian Ocean region.

At the same time, our President will be shown the port's facilities. Besides being state-of-the-art technology, it's also extremely advantageous logistically. It offers quick access to the markets of India and East Africa. And right there is a free economic zone—there's no better platform for cooperation between Belarusian and Omani enterprises.

In short, there's both economic interest and political understanding. What else is needed for the relationship between leaders and peoples to strengthen?