Monday 02 / November / 2026
Beijing: His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China, today presided at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing over the signing ceremony of one agreement, 14 memorandums of understanding (MoUs), and a cooperation protocol within the framework of His Majesty’s state visit to China.
The agreement relates to local currency currency swaps between the Central Bank of Oman and the People's Bank of China. The memorandums of understanding pertain to enhancing investment cooperation in green development, media and news, information exchange, science, technology, and innovation, as well as regulatory cooperation in securities, futures, data, digital economy, peaceful uses of space, space science, technology, and applications, artificial intelligence, applications of the BeiDou Satellite Navigation System, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), investment in industrial and supply chains, competition protection and anti-monopoly, vegetation cover development, management of natural reserves, historical documentation, and records and archives management.
The protocol pertains to inspection, quarantine, and sanitary requirements for dried palm dates exported to China.
Signing the agreements from the Omani side were Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister; Eng. Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology; Ahmed bin Jaafar Al Musalami, Governor of the Central Bank of Oman; Anwar bin Hilal Al Jabri, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion; and Anwar bin Ahmed Muqabil, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the People's Republic of China.
Signing from the Chinese side were Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce; Shen Haixiong, President of China Media Group; Fu Hua, President of Xinhua News Agency; Yin Hejun, Minister of Science and Technology; Wu Qing, Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission; Sun Meijun, Minister of the General Administration of Customs of China; Liu Liehong, Director of the National Data Administration; Shan Zhongde, Administrator of the China National Space Administration; Zheng Shanjie, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of China; Pan Gongsheng, Governor of the People's Bank of China; Liu Guiping, Head of the State Administration for Market Regulation; Wang Shaozhong, Director of the National Archives Administration of China; and Yan Chen, Deputy Director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
Eng. Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, emphasized that the signing of four MoUs in communications and information technology with several government entities in China represents an important step toward expanding international partnerships in priority technical fields, and bolstering Oman's efforts to leverage international expertise in developing the digital economy, artificial intelligence, and space sectors.
In a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA), he stated that China possesses advanced expertise and extensive technical capabilities in these domains. Cooperation will open broader horizons for knowledge transfer, technology localization, national capacity building, and creating greater opportunities for companies operating in technical sectors.
The minister explained that the four MoUs—covering artificial intelligence, peaceful uses of space and space applications, the BeiDou Satellite Navigation System, and data and the digital economy—align with the priorities of the 11th Five-Year Plan and the targets of the National Program for the Digital Economy by promoting cooperation, exchanging expertise and information, supporting startups, and building specialized capabilities.
He added that the Sultanate of Oman looks forward to expanding cooperation horizons with Chinese companies, encouraging them to utilize Oman as a gateway for expansion into Middle Eastern and African markets, benefiting from its strategic location, regional and international connectivity, and promising investment opportunities in technology sectors.
He noted that these MoUs represent a continuation of Omani-Chinese cooperation and reflect Oman’s keenness to strengthen its presence in international AI cooperation, particularly following its participation as a founding member of the International Organization for Artificial Intelligence Cooperation.
On his turn, Anwar bin Hilal Al Jabri, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, affirmed that the state visit paid by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to China marks a major milestone in bilateral relations. It strengthens economic and investment partnership horizons between the two countries, supporting economic diversification, developing value-added industries, and benefiting from Chinese industrial and technological capabilities alongside Oman's competitive advantages.
In a statement to ONA, he noted that trade relations between the two countries reflect deep economic partnership, with trade exchange volume reaching approximately RO 9.6 billion in 2025. Omani exports to China reached around RO 7.7 billion against imports of RO 1.9 billion, placing China as Oman's top trading partner, accounting for 23.8% of Oman's total trade exchange volume. These indicators provide a solid foundation for expanding cooperation in productive and investment sectors and diversifying bilateral trade.
He explained that signing the MoU with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in enhancing investment cooperation in industrial and supply chains is an important step toward attracting qualitative industrial investments and developing joint projects that leverage Omani economic zones, free zones, and ports, helping integrate national industries into global production networks and boosting export and technology transfer opportunities.
The minister added that the MoU signed with China's State Administration for Market Regulation in competition protection and anti-monopoly supports efforts to develop the regulatory market environment through exchanging regulatory practices, promoting fair competition, transparency, and equal opportunity, thereby elevating market efficiency and investor confidence.
He emphasized that the importance of signing both MoUs lies in their complementary objectives—combining the expansion of the industrial and investment base with the development of a competitive business environment. He noted that the ministry will work on translating these areas of cooperation into practical initiatives that generate value for the national economy, support Oman Vision 2040 targets, and consolidate Oman's position as an active economic partner in global trade and production chains.
For his part, Ahmed bin Jaafar Al Musalami, Governor of the Central Bank of Oman, stated that China is one of Oman's most vital economic partners. Signing this agreement reflects both nations' commitment to deepening financial and economic cooperation to fulfill national aspirations, underscoring the importance of partnerships built on mutual trust.
In a statement to ONA, he added that the local currency swap agreement between the Central Bank of Oman and the People's Bank of China serves key national objectives, primarily enhancing financial stability to support economic development and strengthening international partnerships in alignment with Oman Vision 2040.
Regarding the MoU on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), he noted that China possesses one of the most advanced CBDC ecosystems in the world, expressing satisfaction with structuring cooperation in this field with the People's Bank of China to exchange technical expertise and experiences.
Anwar bin Ahmed Muqabil, Ambassador of Oman to China, stated that the MoU between Oman's Environment Authority and China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration aims to enhance cooperation in vegetation cover development and natural reserve management, including sustainable land restoration, sand dune stabilization, afforestation, and environmental monitoring. It seeks to exchange expertise, technology, scientific research, and build capacities through training programs and mutual expert visits.
In a statement to ONA, he added that the MoU signed between the National Records and Archives Authority in Oman and the National Archives Administration of China aims to strengthen cooperation in historical documentation and archives management, including exchanging documents, expertise in digital management, long-term archiving, capacity development, training programs, scientific research, mutual visits, and organizing specialized conferences and exhibitions.
