The Sultanate of Oman, during a period of renaissance under the leadership of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, is striving to strengthen its cooperative ties and connections with countries around the world. These efforts take place within the framework of a unified vision and are based on the deep civilizational heritage of the Sultanate of Oman and its outstanding geographical position as a bridge between East and West.
Oman's Foreign Policy and Bilateral Relations
The foreign policy of the Sultanate of Oman reflects the country's desire to establish sustainable strategic partnerships with brotherly and friendly countries based on mutual interests and respect for the sovereignty of nations. This policy has led to practical cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, culture, and education.
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In this context, the historic visit of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq to Darussalam Brunei, which is considered the first visit of a Sultan of Oman to the Port of Seri Begawan, reflects the Sultan's interest in creating bridges of friendship and partnership with brotherly and friendly countries. This visit is also an effort by the Omani government to connect with other countries to strengthen bilateral relations in various fields.
Unique Cooperation Model between Oman and Brunei
The partnership between the Sultanate of Oman and Darussalam Brunei represents a unique model of cooperation between two countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The two countries have succeeded in transforming their historical relations into a strong economic and cultural partnership, which has been reinforced by reciprocal official visits and bilateral agreements in political, economic, and cultural fields.
The diplomatic relations and strategic partnership between the Sultanate of Oman and Darussalam Brunei have been shaped by milestones that represent an advanced model of bilateral cooperation between countries. Since the official establishment of diplomatic relations between Muscat and the Port of Seri Begawan in 1984, the two countries have managed to create a sustainable partnership based on mutual respect, aligned political views, economic and cultural integration, and deep historical ties.
The Sultanate of Oman established its embassy in the capital of Brunei, the Port of Seri Begawan, in 1986. This action marked the beginning of a new chapter in diplomatic coordination that has lasted for over four decades.
Bilateral relations between the Sultanate of Oman and Darussalam Brunei are under the special attention of the leaderships of both friendly countries, which has contributed to the development, enrichment, and advancement of these relations in broader horizons and fruitful outcomes. These relations have been strengthened through reciprocal official visits, such as Sultan Haitham bin Tariq's visit to Darussalam Brunei in 2014.
In response, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Darussalam Brunei, has visited the Sultanate of Oman several times in 1984, 1985, and 2009, reflecting the two countries' desire to strengthen their communication ties and cooperation and advance their partnership.
Statistics published by the National Center for Statistics and Information of Oman indicate that the value of Bruneian investments in the Sultanate of Oman reached approximately 50.3 million Omani Rials in 2025, while this figure reached about 50.4 million Omani Rials in the first six months of this year. On the other hand, the value of direct Omani investments in Brunei has reached nearly 2.3 million Omani Rials.
Statistics show that the number of visitors entering the Sultanate of Oman from Brunei through legal ports has reached 344, and this number is expected to reach about 126 by the end of September 2026.
The upcoming period is expected to witness an important phase for enhancing economic cooperation between the two friendly countries, which is being strengthened by the governments of both countries to achieve economic diversification and expand partnership horizons in various business and investment fields.
In recent years, Oman and Brunei have focused on strengthening cooperative ties in the field of investment, which indicates a promising developmental path and deepens the relations between the two friendly countries. This cooperation peaked with the signing of the Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Foreign Investments between the two countries in Muscat in June 1998. This agreement aims to create favorable conditions for strengthening economic cooperation and protecting foreign investments among governments, citizens, and active companies in both countries.
Emphasizing both parties' willingness to elevate economic partnership to more advanced and fruitful levels, Omani investment officials and the Brunei Investment Agency agreed in December 2019 to increase the capital of the Oman-Brunei Investment Company to 100 million US dollars, which raised the company's capital to 200 million US dollars. This agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 19th political consultation meetings between the two countries.
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