Oman-Saudi Trade Agreement: Key Measures to Boost Business Growth and Investment Opportunities
Muscat: Oman and Saudi Arabia have agreed to mutually recognise certificates of origin to facilitate faster goods movement and enhance industrial integration, officials announced following a bilateral meeting in Muscat. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Saleh bin Said Masan, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion for Commerce and Industry, alongside Saudi Arabia’s Acting Under-Secretary for Empowerment, Eng. Badr bin Adel Foudah.
Held at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, the discussions approved a second set of integration measures. These include the mutual listing of Omani and Saudi products within recognised industrial capabilities, equal treatment for companies in government tenders and procurement, streamlined product registration with regulatory bodies, expedited conformity approvals, incentives for joint industrial investments, and enhanced value-chain integration through free-trade agreements and focused efforts on African markets.
Additionally, several memorandums of understanding were signed between companies from both nations to foster strategic partnerships, share expertise, and open new markets for national products.
Dr. Masan emphasized that these initiatives aim to deepen Omani-Saudi industrial integration by attracting high-quality industrial investments, simplifying regulatory procedures, and harmonising conformity and quality standards. This collaboration supports the vision of positioning both countries as regional industrial and trade hubs, aligned with Oman Vision 2040 and Saudi Vision 2030.
Omani industrial exports recorded a significant increase of 39%, reaching RO 733 million by the end of July 2025, up from RO 526 million the previous year, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information. Meanwhile, Saudi exports to Oman grew by 10% to RO 762 million. Overall bilateral trade surged by 20% to RO 1.757 billion, reflecting heightened demand for Omani products in the Saudi market.
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The mutual recognition of certificates of origin between Oman and Saudi Arabia marks a strategic leap in regional trade efficiency, boosting industrial integration and expediting goods flow. For businesses, this opens expanded market access and streamlined regulatory processes, presenting fertile ground for joint ventures and cross-border investments. Smart investors should now focus on leveraging these integration incentives and targeting emerging value chains, especially in innovative industrial sectors and targeted African markets, aligning with Oman Vision 2040 and Saudi Vision 2030 ambitions.
