PM Modi arrives in Oman on two-day visit, trade pact talks on agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday arrived in Muscat on a two-day visit to Oman, the final leg of his three-nation tour, during which he will hold talks with the country’s top leadership and is expected to sign an ambitious trade agreement. Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, received Modi at the airport, where he was accorded a guard of honour.

In a post on X, Modi said he had landed in a land of “enduring friendship and deep historical connections” with India, adding that the visit would help explore new avenues of collaboration and add fresh momentum to the bilateral partnership. Modi is visiting Oman at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. This is his second visit to the Gulf nation and coincides with 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Oman.

India has said it is “very optimistic” about finalising a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) during the visit. The Union Cabinet approved the free trade agreement last Friday.

Negotiations for the pact formally began in November 2023 and concluded this year. MEA Secretary Arun Chatterjee said both sides had worked hard for its early finalisation and expressed confidence that the agreement, if signed, would significantly deepen economic ties and open a new chapter in bilateral trade and commercial relations.

During the visit, Modi will hold discussions with Sultan Haitham on strengthening the Strategic Partnership and enhancing cooperation in trade and economic relations. He is also scheduled to address a gathering of the Indian diaspora.

The Ministry of External Affairs said the visit would allow both sides to comprehensively review the bilateral partnership across trade, investment, energy, defence, security, technology, agriculture and culture, and to exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Oman is India’s third-largest export destination among Gulf Cooperation Council countries. India already has a similar trade agreement with the UAE, which came into effect in May 2022. India-Oman bilateral trade stood at about USD 10.5 billion in 2024–25, with exports worth USD 4 billion and imports of USD 6.54 billion.

India’s key imports from Oman include petroleum products and urea, which account for over 70 per cent of imports, while exports comprise mineral fuels, chemicals, precious metals, iron and steel, cereals, ships and boats, electrical machinery, boilers, tea, coffee, spices, apparel and food items.

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With PTI inputs.