His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, held an official meeting at Istana Nurul Iman in the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, in the presence of members of the royal family of Brunei Darussalam and the Omani official delegation.

The meeting reviewed the cordial relations between the two friendly countries and ways to strengthen and develop them in a manner that serves the shared interests of both peoples. They also exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest.

An extended official talks session was subsequently held in the presence of the Omani official delegation and a number of officials from the Bruneian side. Discussions covered cooperation in energy, manufacturing, mining, petrochemicals, food security and aquaculture.

During the session, the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam delivered a speech in which he renewed his welcome to His Majesty the Sultan, wishing His Majesty and the accompanying delegation a successful visit and a pleasant stay.

His Majesty the Sultan then delivered the following speech on the occasion:

“Your Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah,

It is a pleasure to be received by Your Majesty this morning here in beautiful Brunei Darussalam. I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to Your Majesty for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to us and our accompanying delegation.

Your Majesty,

We are pleased to visit Brunei Darussalam once again on this occasion, which reflects the deep and enduring ties between our two countries.

We are committed to continuing to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation. We reaffirm our determination to usher in a new and bright chapter in the history of relations between Oman and Brunei Darussalam.

We also wish to express our great pride in the progress of economic and investment relations between our two countries, as exemplified by the Oman Brunei Investment Company.

We hope that the company will explore and pursue new investment opportunities across various sectors and harness them in the service of the peoples of both countries.

On this occasion, we appreciate Your Majesty’s interest and your Government’s efforts to develop the economic partnership between our two countries.

This visit reaffirms our firm commitment and full support for the continued development of bilateral relations.

Accordingly, we look forward to achieving our shared vision and expanding trade between our two countries in the coming years. Although the current volume of trade does not yet reflect the strength of our partnership, we are confident that we can raise trade to higher levels.

We affirm that Oman is committed to enhancing its non-oil revenues and regards Brunei Darussalam as a strategic gateway to wider Asian markets. Equally, Brunei Darussalam can benefit from Oman’s unique geographical location as a hub connecting the Gulf, the Middle East and Africa, facilitating the smooth flow of goods and expertise between our two regions.

In this regard, we encourage all stakeholders from the public and private sectors to continue exploring opportunities for partnership between our two countries and enable business leaders to benefit from promising trade and investment opportunities. This will contribute to greater prosperity, security and well-being for both countries.

I am accompanied on this visit by a number of ministers responsible for these sectors, who are keen to explore additional areas of cooperation.

We also look forward to promising prospects and partnerships in oil and gas, renewable energy, food security, maritime transport and logistics, alongside other sectors that contribute to economic diversification in both countries.

Furthermore, there are significant opportunities for cooperation in innovation, technology, education and entrepreneurship. By strengthening links between our academic institutions and consolidating research cooperation, we can empower the next generation to lead efforts towards economic diversification and build resilient economies.

Your Majesty,

Our two countries share a commitment to addressing pressing global challenges and promoting peace and stability. In advancing dialogue and multilateral cooperation, the vision of Brunei Darussalam aligns with Oman’s diplomatic approach.

We are confident that our two countries can work closely together to address humanitarian challenges and climate change, promote international law and contribute to global peace and security.

We hope that this meeting will lead to tangible and practical steps that strengthen economic relations and open new horizons for integration and partnership between our two friendly countries.

We pray to Almighty God to grant Your Majesty continued health, happiness and well-being, and to bless Brunei Darussalam and preserve lasting peace, prosperity and progress for its people.”

The session was attended by the Omani official delegation. Brunei was represented by His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Mateen ibni Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Abdul Malik, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; Dato Erywan, Second Minister of Foreign Affairs; Dato Haji Halbi, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Defence, and Minister Coordinator for National Security; Dr Haji Abdul Manaf, Minister Coordinator for Economic Affairs and Minister of Finance and Economy; Ahmad bin Haji Abdul Rahman, Minister Coordinator for Social Policies and Labour and Minister of Home Affairs; Muhammad Reza, Minister of Transport and Infocommunications; Pengiran Zety Sufina, Deputy Minister of Finance; and Ambassador Noralizan Abdul Momin, Brunei Darussalam’s Ambassador to Oman.