Message from Ambassadors

Oman offers an attractive investment
environment
Khalid Al-Muslahi
Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Japan
Khalid Al-Muslahi was born in Ibra, Oman, in 1967, and earned his B.A. in Economics
from Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom in 1992. After entering theForeign Ministry in 1993, he has worked in the office of the Foreign Minister and theOffice of the Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry, and as Deputy Head of Missionin London. H.E. has been serving as the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman toJapan since February 2008. Married with 3 children. Twitter: @muslahi

Oman - Japan Relations

towards stability and prosperity.

The Sultanate of Oman and Japan share 400 years offriendly contacts based on reciprocal trust and friendship,and since the official establishment of the diplomatic
relations in 1972, the two countries’ relations have been
growing with cooperation in various fields, particularly inenergy, trade and investments, finance, knowledgetransfer and human resource development that have been
the backbone of a long and fruitful relationship.

Japan was one of the first countries to receive Omani
crude oil, and Oman is happy to be a reliable energy
supplier to its Japanese partners for many decades now.

The visit of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Oman inJanuary 2014 was an important milestone in the relations.
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and Prime Minister
Abe expressed their satisfaction with the growing bilateralrelations, as well as the intent to further strengthen
partnership and cooperation between the two countries on
all levels and fields for a comprehensive partnership

Being among the top 10 suppliers to Japan, the imports ofOmani oil and LNG make Japan one of the most important
markets for Oman’s exports. Oman is also a major
importer of Japanese automobiles, machinery, chemicals,and technology among other products, making Oman the3rd largest market for Japanese exports in the MENAregion. A number of Japanese corporations are engaged
in important projects in Oman, particularly in the fields ofoil and gas, electricity generation and water desalination.
This vast trade and investment relationship makes Japanan important partner to Oman.

Mirrah Solar Park: One of the world’s largest solar parks. Miraah (meaning mirror in Arabic) is a 1,021 MW solar thermal facility inSouth Oman, harnessing the sun’s rays to produce steam for injection into an Omani oil field.
22018.1

中東 特集Royal Opera House Muscat: Oman’s premier venue for musical arts and culture.

To create a more favorable environment, the Japan-Oman
Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation was signed
in January 2014, and the bilateral Agreement for theprotection and promotion of investment was signed inJune 2015. These two bilateral agreements provide thelegal umbrella for our two countries’ businesses to invest
easily in various industries and sectors. I hope Japaneseparticipation in Oman’s economic development willcontinue to grow as we are steadily developing oureconomy in manufacturing, petrochemicals, food,agriculture and fisheries, ports and logistics, tourism andhospitality.

Economic Climate in Oman
Since the oil price drop in mid 2014, Oman has taken anumber of measures to support public finance, continue
economic growth and diversify sources of nationaleconomy. Performance of the national economy in 2017has been positive in a number of economic indicators.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its recent
Regional Economic Outlook, expects Oman’s real GDP
growth to slow to 0.4 per cent in 2017 as a result ofgovernment spending cuts and lower oil prices. However,the Fund forecasts that Oman’s economic growth would
bounce back to 3.8 per cent in 2018. The IMF projects
that the spending cuts and the increase in oil prices are
helping to lower budget deficits, hailing it as progress inefforts to transform the economy from reliance onhydrocarbons for more than five decades. The IMF
expects Oman’s non-oil GDP to grow 2.5 per cent in2017, while oil GDP to shrink by 2 per cent. For 2018, theIMF projects non-oil GDP growth at 3.5 per cent and oil
GDP growth at 4.2 per cent.

Investing in OmanWith a policy to use the proceeds from oil and gas todevelop the country’s infrastructure and human resources,
Oman’s government has deliberately fostered thecountry’s growth while preserving its culture and heritage,
and developed the national economy on the principles ofjustice and free market. Through significant investments
in infrastructure and ensuring easy access to both domestic
and international markets, Oman continues to attract newbusinesses operating in a variety of sectors, and offers an
ideal investment environment with its strategic locationand its access to the markets in the Middle East, Europe,
the United States, and Asian and African markets.
Oman also ensures political and economic stability, a fullconvertible stable currency, free repatriation of capitaland profits, no personal income tax, free trade and open
market policies. Also, Oman has a committed policy ofprivatization and close relations between public andprivate sectors.
Furthermore, Oman offers excellent financial services
and financial assistance to investors, such as a wide rangeof credit facilities and financial services that are provided
to investors through a strong financial sector.
More information on Investment

IthraaThe Public Authority for Investment
Promotion and Export Development
tel: 968-24 62 33 00
fax: 968-24 62 33 36
www.ithraa.om

2018.13