The key facts
- First state visit by Oman to the United Kingdom in 44 years; agreements signed worth more than £1 billion in investment
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham thanked Oman for its work on opening the Strait of Hormuz
- Agreement on an AI centre in Salalah: first phase of over £1 billion and more than 100 highly skilled jobs in the United Kingdom
The visit and historical ties
Sultan of Oman Haitham is on the first state visit to the United Kingdom in 44 years. At a banquet at Guildhall in the City of London, he pledged to develop joint investment and maintain trade against the backdrop of the war with Iran, recalling ties dating back to 1647, when London merchants struck a deal to gain access to Oman's ports. 'Not for the last time, the private sector was first,' the sultan said. According to him, bilateral investment and trade are moving in a positive direction, including in the areas of sustainable development, financial services and technology. New treaties followed in 1798 and 1800, and the United Kingdom took part in counterinsurgency operations in Oman as early as the 1980s.
The Strait of Hormuz and the meeting with the prime minister
Lady Mayor of the City Susan Langley, at the banquet, noted Oman's globally important role in maintaining free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Before the banquet, the sultan met at the residence in Downing Street with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who, according to the prime minister's office, 'thanked Oman for its work on opening the Strait of Hormuz.' The sides agreed on the need to keep the strait open in order to ease pressure on global supply chains. The sultan acknowledged that the situation for his country 'has been difficult' for more than 40 years, but Oman seeks to do everything possible to normalise tensions. According to Kpler, oil shipments from the Persian Gulf peaked at 24.6 million barrels per day in the week to 18 October, but October averages remain below the pre-war level of February. According to reports, Iran this week claimed several attacks on vessels using the so-called 'Omani route' through the strait; ships in the Gulf and the Red Sea are sailing with their automatic identification systems switched off.
Investment and agreements
Over the four-day visit, a number of agreements were signed with promised investment of more than £1 billion, including a pact on maritime cooperation through information sharing with the Oman Maritime Security Centre. The United Kingdom and Oman also agreed on the construction of an artificial intelligence data centre in Salalah with the participation of partners from both countries: the first phase, according to officials, is to exceed £1 billion and create more than 100 highly skilled jobs in the United Kingdom. A sovereign investment partnership with Oman was first signed in 2022; since its creation, Oman has invested £1.7 billion in the United Kingdom, the Foreign Office said.
