Sunday 08 / February / 2026
Muscat: The Omani–Italian Business Forum, organized today (Sunday) by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, discussed ways to enhance economic and investment cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and the Italian Republic, with a focus on several key sectors, most notably infrastructure, railway engineering, energy and backup power solutions, major civil construction and project development, rolling stock and integrated rail systems, railway electrification and power distribution, manufacturing of steel structures and components, as well as development finance and investment.
The forum was attended by Eng. Hussain bin Hassan Abdulhussain, Board Member of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and H.E. Pierluigi D’Elia, Ambassador of the Italian Republic to the Sultanate of Oman, along with a number of business owners and investors from both friendly countries, at the Chamber’s headquarters in Muscat.
Eng. Hussain bin Hassan Abdulhussain affirmed that the forum reflects the depth of bilateral relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the friendly Italian Republic and embodies the shared determination to advance economic, trade and investment cooperation toward broader and more sustainable horizons, in a way that serves the mutual interests of both countries. He added that economic relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Italy have witnessed notable progress in recent years. One of the key milestones in this trajectory was the official visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to the Sultanate of Oman last month, at the gracious invitation of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik — may Allah protect and preserve him — which represented an important step in strengthening economic and trade relations between the two friendly countries.
He said that, on the trade front, the volume of trade exchange between the Sultanate of Oman and the Italian Republic reached approximately €440 million in 2025, including Omani exports to Italy valued at around €80 million and imports from Italy valued at approximately €360 million, reflecting the strength of bilateral trade relations and their promising prospects for future growth. He noted that the number of visitors arriving from Italy to the Sultanate of Oman in 2025 reached about 80,607 visitors, indicating notable growth in tourism and cultural exchange between the two countries. Italian companies are also actively operating in the Omani market across multiple sectors, including mining, industry, real estate development, oil and gas, and logistics services, reflecting growing confidence in the Omani market. In addition, the opening of the Italian Trade Agency office in Muscat has helped expand the presence of Italian companies in the Sultanate. With regard to air connectivity, direct flights operated by Oman Air to Italy — particularly to Milan (MXP) and Rome (FCO) — play an important role in facilitating travel and enhancing trade and investment exchange.
Eng. Hussain Abdulhussain empsasized that the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry contributes to strengthening trade relations and investment partnerships between business communities in both friendly countries by supporting bilateral meetings, activating communication channels, and encouraging joint initiatives that help increase trade volume, expand investments and deepen cooperation across various fields.
Deepening partnerships and exploring opportunities
For his part, H.E. Pierluigi D’Elia, Ambassador of the Italian Republic to the Sultanate of Oman, said that the forum represents an important milestone in the trajectory of economic relations between the two friendly countries and a practical opportunity to deepen existing partnerships and explore new avenues for cooperation in priority sectors for both sides. Italian companies, he noted, view the Sultanate of Oman as a stable and attractive investment environment, thanks to its clear economic vision, modern legislative framework and strategic geographic location that positions it as a key logistics and industrial hub in the region.
He added that Italy possesses leading expertise in railways, advanced engineering systems, energy and infrastructure — sectors that are currently receiving increasing attention in the Sultanate of Oman within the framework of its major national projects. He expressed hope that these capabilities would contribute to supporting Oman’s aspirations to build a modern and sustainable transport system and enhance the efficiency of the industrial and energy sectors.
The Italian ambassador affirmed that the strong presence of Italian companies reflects their genuine desire to build long-term partnerships. He noted that the participating Italian business delegation includes a distinguished group of specialized institutions across various sectors, all keen to explore direct cooperation opportunities with their Omani counterparts.
Invest in Oman
The forum featured a presentation titled “Invest in Oman,” which highlighted the enablers and unified services aimed at attracting strategic investments through a single-window platform bringing together more than 22 public and private entities, supported by a dedicated national negotiation team and investor relations managers to assist investors throughout their journey. The presentation also highlighted Oman’s competitive advantages, foremost among them its strategic location providing access to GCC markets of around 59 million consumers, in addition to connectivity to Asian and African markets totaling approximately 2.6 billion consumers, and direct links to East–West trade corridors.
It also addressed Oman’s stable economic fundamentals, including positive credit ratings from international agencies and a currency considered among the strongest globally, in addition to the contribution of non-oil exports, which account for nearly one-third of total exports.
Ambitious vision for transport and logistics
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology also delivered a presentation outlining its ambitious vision for transport and logistics and international investment partnership opportunities. The Sultanate aims to rank among the world’s top 25 countries in this sector through an integrated package of projects, modern infrastructure, supportive legislation and partnership programs with the private sector and international investors.
The presentation highlighted the foundations of this vision, including an integrated and safe transport network, effective institutional governance, innovative digital transformation, environmental sustainability and carbon neutrality. It also showcased a number of qualitative projects, including the first green hydrogen refuelling station in the Sultanate, electric mobility projects such as electric buses and e-delivery initiatives, the use of biofuels in marine vessel operations at Sohar Port, and shore-to-ship power supply projects to reduce emissions.
In terms of technological innovation, the presentation reviewed smart initiatives in the transport sector, such as the National Port Community System, vehicle monitoring systems, memoranda of understanding for operating vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and the launch of a locally assembled drone to support logistics services in remote areas.
Investment opportunities in energy and minerals
The Ministry of Energy and Minerals also presented a briefing on promising investment opportunities in the sector, including opportunities offered in the mining and minerals sector for 2025, based on Oman’s significant geological diversity and the advantages of investing in mining concession areas.
Bilateral meetings
On the sidelines of the forum, bilateral meetings were held between business representatives from both friendly countries. These meetings discussed prospects for cooperation and partnership, reviewed available investment opportunities across several sectors of mutual interest, and explored ways to build strategic partnerships and exchange expertise, in a manner that contributes to deepening economic partnerships and strengthening cooperation between the two sides.
