The Sultanate of Oman, under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, is committed to strengthening its foreign relations through a balanced and open approach that promotes effective partnerships. This reflects Oman’s foreign policy of expanding cooperation with brotherly and friendly countries, advancing shared interests, and supporting regional and international security and stability.

His Majesty’s official visit to the French Republic, 28 to 29 June, 2026, reflects the strength of the longstanding diplomatic relations between the two friendly countries, marking more than five decades of continuous growth and cooperation.

These relations are built on mutual respect and constructive cooperation. Over the years, the partnership has expanded across the political, economic, cultural and scientific fields, and issues of common interest.

Oman and France maintain an advanced level of consultation and coordination between their leaderships. His Majesty and the French President, Emmanuel Macron, have held several telephone conversations, the latest at the end of May, 2026. Their discussions covered regional and international developments, diplomatic efforts to promote security and stability, safeguard freedom of maritime navigation and international trade, and strengthen cooperation and partnership.

The two countries continue to build on cooperation across promising economic and investment sectors, including renewable energy, clean energy solutions, industry, space, logistics, tourism, technology, food security, infrastructure and defence. These efforts support shared interests and create broader opportunities for future partnership.

In April 2026, the two countries held the first round of strategic dialogue in Paris. The discussions reflected the depth of the bilateral partnership and reviewed opportunities to expand cooperation, particularly in economic and investment sectors, energy security, culture, education and training.

Oman signed 17 investment and development agreements worth more than OMR 762 million during its participation in MIPIM 2026 in Cannes. The agreements cover projects linked to future cities and integrated residential neighbourhoods.

Trade between Oman and France exceeded OMR 100 million in 2025, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information. French exports to Oman increased from OMR 63.1 million in 2024 to OMR 70.8 million in 2025, while Omani exports to France exceeded OMR 29 million, including aluminium, iron, polyethylene, pharmaceuticals and other products.

The two countries are working to increase trade volumes, diversify the range of traded goods and expand the share of non oil products, including industrial, food, pharmaceutical and technology products.

Ahmed Bin Mohamed Bin Nasser Alaraimi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the French Republic, said in a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA) that His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik’s official visit to France marks an important milestone in Oman-France relations and reflects the continued growth of the strategic partnership.

He said the visit reaffirms the depth of ties and the commitment of both leaderships to expanding cooperation across a wide range of fields. It also reinforces coordination on regional and international issues of common concern, particularly developments in the region.

The Ambassador added that the visit is expected to witness the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding in the economic, investment and commercial sectors, opening new opportunities for cooperation while boosting trade and investment between the two countries.

Ambassador Alaraimi noted that French investment continues to play an important role in Oman, with French companies implementing strategic projects in energy, logistics, advanced technologies, recycling and space. These include the joint LNG project between OQ Group and TotalEnergies, the Manah 1 Solar Project, power and water projects in Barka and Sohar, and the OmanSat 1 satellite project. The projects reflect the confidence of French investors and reinforce Oman’s position as an attractive destination for quality investment.

On cultural and educational cooperation, the Ambassador said the relationship builds on a long shared history and deep civilisational ties that provide a strong foundation for academic and cultural exchange. Joint initiatives include Arabic and French language programmes, student exchanges, scholarships and specialised training.

Nabil Hajlaoui, Ambassador of the French Republic to Oman, said His Majesty’s official visit comes at an important time in light of current regional developments and is expected to leave a lasting positive impact on bilateral relations. He said the visit builds on several high level meetings and contacts over recent months, including continued exchanges between the leaders and Foreign Ministers of the two countries. He hoped that the visit would provide fresh momentum for Oman-France relations through the launch of major projects that will shape future cooperation, and anticipates that agreements will be signed during the visit for projects worth approximately USD 2.25 billion, covering water treatment, environmental projects, transport, space, technology, energy transition and other sectors.

The Ambassador added that the visit also offers France an opportunity to reaffirm its support for Oman’s consistent approach based on respect for international law, dialogue and the pursuit of peace. He noted the broad alignment between the two countries in supporting peaceful solutions, international law and United Nations resolutions.