Initiatives approved to facilitate flow of goods between Oman and Saudi Arabia

The Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have agreed on the  mutual recognition of certificates of origin, to facilitate the smooth flow of goods and to enhance industrial and commercial integration.

The recognition took place at a meeting held in Muscat at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MCIIP), co-chaired by Dr Saleh Said Masan, Undersecretary of the MCIIP; and Engineer Al Badr Adel Fouda, Deputy Minister for Industrial Development at the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources.

The meeting reviewed ways to enhance industrial integration and trade between the two countries and discussed initiatives for the second phase of industrial integration. These initiatives included incorporating manufactured products from Oman and Saudi Arabia into the list of approved industrial capacities, ensuring equal treatment for Omani and Saudi companies in government tenders and procurement, facilitating the registration procedures for industrial goods and products with regulatory bodies in both countries, launching a fast track for product conformity procedures, stimulating joint industrial investments and exchanging investment opportunities across various sectors, and enhancing integration in industrial and commercial value chains, particularly those linked to free trade agreements and target African markets.

During the meeting, several memoranda of understanding between Omani companies and their Saudi counterparts were signed. The agreements aim to develop strategic partnerships in multiple fields, to exchange expertise, and to open new markets for national products, thereby contributing to enhanced industrial integration and increased trade between the two countries.

Dr Saleh said that the meeting continues the path of strategic partnership between Oman and Saudi Arabia in economic, trade and industrial fields, embodying a shared political will to enhance industrial integration and trade. He added that the mutual recognition of certificates of origin will facilitate the flow of Omani goods into Saudi markets and will provide a more flexible, seamless environment for trade, serving the interests of the business communities in both countries.

Engineer Al Badr said that the industrial integration initiative encompasses several pillars, including industrial capacities between the two countries and integration in supply chains within the industrial local content sector.

Data issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information show that Omani industrial exports increased by 39% at the end of July 2025, reaching a value of OMR 733 million, compared to OMR 526m during the same period in 2024. Saudi Arabia recorded a 10% increase in its exports to Oman, reaching a value of OMR 762m. This raised the total trade exchange by 20% to OMR 1.76 billion by the end of July 2025.