Oman and Iran working on visa waiver agreement soon

Muscat: The Iranian ambassador to Oman, Ali Akbar Sibeveh, has described the relations between his country and Oman as “excellent” adding that they are not tainted by any impurity, whether on the political, commercial or economic levels.

Commenting on growing ties between the sultanate and the Islamic Republic, he said that the two countries were working on a visa waiver program, and revealed the growing bilateral trade between the two.

Sibeveh added that Iranian nuclear negotiations world powers only succeeded due to the wisdom and mediation of Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed. “His Majesty... knows how to stabilise and handle things in this volatile region”, said the Iranian ambassador.

He was speaking at a press meeting in the Iranian embassay on Monday prior to the opening of an Iranian-Omani trade exhibition.

                                                               Ali Akbar Sibeveh

With regard to tourist visas between the two countries, Sibeveh said that Iran and Oman are working to waive visas for the past two years and expect soon to reach an agreement to allow the entry of both countries’ nationals without visas.

Sibeveh pointed out the trade exchange between Oman and Iran jumped during the last two years to one billion dollars and that the volume of Iranian investments in Sohar and Duqm of Oman stood at four billion dollars.

Moreover, he said that a gas pipeline agreement between the two countries will be implemented soon since the technical committees completed their preliminary work.

The pipeline will provide Oman with about 10 billion cubic metres of gas annually, and it will cost one billion dollars to build. Sibeveh commented that the final agreement on the project came during the sultan’s to Iran last year.

Sibeveh explained that $1.5 billion Iranian hospital will be built in Barka province by the middle of 2017. The new hospital, on an area of 60,000 square metres, will be provided with the latest equipments, 400 beds, 500 Omani medical staff as well as a hotel for the families of the patients.

The largest five days exhibition that Iran has held in the GCC opened on Tuesday in Muscat. Sibeveh affirmed that there are 100 Iranian companies involved in the exhibition, which came from all provinces of Iran, under the supervision of the ministries of trade and industry in both countries.

The Iranian ambassador added that such exhibition is unique for being includes for the first time four Iranian made cars as well as all the Omani industries, nanotechnology, medical devices and a special section for Omani and Iranian carpets. Sibeveh further added that Oman will be an important station for re-export to Asian countries and Yemen as well as central and eastern Africa because of its strategic weight. Duqm port will be eligible in the next few years to become the number one port in the Gulf, especially with the presence of the railway lines.

For the maritime agreement, Sibeveh said both countries will sign in the next few months that will conduct maritime route between the two countries as well as the customs agreement.