Muscat: The upcoming state visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to the Republic of Angola marks a pivotal milestone in the trajectory of bilateral relations between the two friendly nations and in the Sultanate of Oman's relations with the countries and peoples of the world.
According to Oman News Agency, this visit, with its multifaceted dimensions, carries profound significance for the strengthening of partnerships across various domains, particularly in the economic and investment spheres, as the volume of trade exchange during the first half of 2025 reached approximately RO 972,900 compared with some RO 1.31 million during the corresponding period of 2024. The trade balance during the first half of 2025 likewise recorded a surplus in favour of the Sultanate of Oman amounting to approximately RO 969,700 compared with some RO 1.17 million during the first half of 2024.
Omani exports to Angola during the first half of 2025 reached approximately RO 971,300 compared with some RO 1.24 million during the same period of 2024. Prominent among Omani exports to the Angolan market were parts for machines and apparatus for filtering or purifying liquids or gases, powdered milk not prepared for industrial use, electrical cables, propylene copolymers and polyethylene, while the foremost products imported from Angola to the Sultanate of Oman included electrical machines and apparatus with self-contained functions, rubber rings and gaskets and textiles with technical applications.
Registered investments with Angolan contributions in the Sultanate of Oman have witnessed growth in recent years, as the number of companies comprising contributions from the Republic of Angola rose from one company in 2023 and 2024 to four companies in 2025. The number of shareholders likewise increased from a single shareholder to six shareholders during the same period, and the total registered capital of these investments climbed from RO 24,000 in 2023 and 2024 to RO 74,000 in 2025, with full Angolan contribution to the capital recorded, according to data issued by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion.
Companies with registered Angolan contributions in the Sultanate of Oman were distributed across the construction sector, professional, scientific and technical activities and wholesale and retail trade and the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles. The energy and mining sectors stand out among the principal domains that could contribute to broadening the economic and investment partnership between the Sultanate of Oman and Angola, as the signing of the memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the fields of energy, alongside the memorandum of understanding concerning the exploration of cooperation opportunities in financial and strategic initiatives, came within the endeavours aimed at developing the frameworks of economic cooperation between the two countries.
The private sector in both countries likewise has opportunities to increase the volume of trade exchange and diversify the base of goods and services exchanged, thereby enhancing the ability of companies to benefit from the promising markets in both nations.
In pursuit of strengthening financial cooperation between the two countries, the establishment of the African Bank of Oman was announced in the Angolan capital, Luanda, in April 2026, a step that contributes to supporting the movement of trade and investment between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Angola, facilitating the access of Omani companies to African markets, enhancing the economic presence of the Sultanate of Oman in Angola and opening new horizons for partnership between the private sectors of both countries.
The official visit of President Joo Louren§o of the Republic of Angola to the Sultanate of Oman in December 2024 constituted a pivotal milestone in the trajectory of relations between the two countries, culminating in the signing of an agreement to acquire a stake in the Catoca and Luele mines in the Republic of Angola, alongside two memoranda of understanding; the first pertaining to cooperation in the fields of energy, and the second to the exploration of cooperation opportunities in financial and strategic initiatives.
Since the Angolan President's visit to the Sultanate of Oman, bilateral relations have witnessed sustained momentum through reciprocal visits by a number of officials, government entities, representatives of the private sector and state-owned companies in both countries, addressing various files of bilateral cooperation, reflecting the shared interest in following up on what was agreed upon and strengthening avenues of cooperation and investment.
In continuation of this momentum, and at the behest of His Majesty the Sultan, the Foreign Minister participated in the celebrations marking the fiftieth anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Angola, held in the capital, Luanda. These developments reflected a direction towards building a more diversified Oman-Angola partnership, one not confined to trade exchange but extending to investment, energy, mining, logistics and the productive and service sectors, thereby reinforcing common interests and bolstering opportunities for economic cooperation between the two countries.
Abdullah bin Nasser Al Rahbi, non-resident Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Republic of Angola, told Oman News Agency (ONA) that the state visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to the Republic of Angola comes as the crowning achievement of a flourishing trajectory of bilateral relations between the two friendly nations, and within the framework of the endeavours exerted by His Majesty to broaden the horizons of relations with the various countries of the world, particularly with the friendly African states, stemming from His Majesty's conviction of the importance of openness to the world and of building bridges of communication and cooperation with the various nations and peoples.
The ambassador explained that the Sultanate of Oman is bound to the African continent by deeply rooted historical relations, linked over the course of centuries by trade and civilizational and cultural exchange, which lends Oman's relations with the African states a historical and humanitarian dimension, alongside shared political and economic interests.
He indicated that the Sultanate of Oman and Angola share a wide array of instruments and objectives, all aimed at reinforcing peace and stability and achieving development, welfare and prosperity for the peoples of the two friendly countries, noting that the Sultanate of Oman has succeeded, through Oman Vision 2040 and the activity of the Oman Investment Authority, in diversifying its economy.
