On the eve of Oman’s National Day, the Sultanate’s Ambassador to India, Issa Saleh Abdullah Alshibani, described the Indian community in Oman with the Arabic phrase “Alhind hi rakizat Euman!” (India is the pillar of Oman), underscoring the historic and expanding partnership between the two nations. In an exclusive interview with The Pioneer, he noted that the nearly 7,00,000-strong Indian community, the largest expatriate group in the Sultanate, stands as a living example of the deep trust, social harmony and people-to-people bonds that anchor India-Oman relations. Edited excerpts follow:
Q: How do you see India-Oman diplomatic relations evolving in recent years, and what key areas are driving this partnership?
A: In many ways, we in the embassy speak of the relationship as having a “before December 2023 and after December 2023.” The State Visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to India in December 2023 was truly a defining moment. It was the first state visit by an Omani leader to India in 26 years, and it produced the Joint Vision document, “A Partnership for the Future,” which aligns Oman Vision 2040 with India’s development aspirations during Amrit Kaal. That vision opened new horizons and gave us a very concrete roadmap across ten priority fields.
Since that visit, the partnership has clearly moved from being “traditionally close” to being consciously “strategic and future-oriented.” We see accelerated cooperation in maritime connectivity, energy and green hydrogen, space, digital payments and fintech, health, tourism, agriculture and food security, and of course, trade and investment. The fact that bilateral trade has already crossed 10 billion US dollars and continues to grow, and that we are now on the verge of concluding a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, are direct reflections of the political trust and ambition generated by His Majesty’s visit.
Q: Can you share an update on the ongoing India-Oman Free Trade Agreement negotiations? What gives you confidence that the agreement will be concluded on schedule?
A: The decision to negotiate a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement-our CEPA-was itself one of the key strategic outcomes of His Majesty’s visit to India. The Joint Vision specifically identified CEPA as a priority instrument to unlock the full potential of our economic partnership, and both leaderships gave very clear instructions to “move fast and be ambitious.”. Since then, negotiations have advanced rapidly. Formal talks began in late 2023 and, by mid-2025, the two sides had successfully concluded the negotiation phase; we are now essentially in the final procedural stage. What gives us confidence is that CEPA is not being negotiated in a vacuum: it sits on top of a strong political relationship, a clear Joint Vision, steadily rising trade, over 10.6 billion US dollars in 2024-25 and a shared understanding that both economies are complementary in many sectors. So, there is political will at the highest level, and there is a strong economic logic. That is usually the best recipe for concluding such agreements on schedule.
Q: The Indian community has a strong and growing presence across GCC countries, including Oman. How do you view the contribution of Indian expatriates to Oman’s development and society?
A: The Indian community is not just a “presence” in Oman; it is one of the pillars of our human bridge with India. Nearly 700,000 Indians are living and working in the Sultanate, making them our largest expatriate community and, by some estimates, around one-fifth of our total population. Their contributions span every sector: from engineers and doctors to teachers, entrepreneurs and skilled workers who helped build our infrastructure, our services sector and our private companies.
During His Majesty’s State Visit, both leaders explicitly recognised the Indian community as a “living example” of the depth of India-Oman friendship. Oman attaches great importance to ensuring that Indians feel safe, respected and integrated into our society, while preserving their culture and traditions. In return, the Indian community has shown remarkable loyalty and attachment to Oman, often calling it their “second home.” So, when we speak of our strategic partnership, we must remember that it is not built only by diplomats-it is built every day by hundreds of thousands of ordinary people whose lives connect our two countries.
Q: India and Oman share a strategic maritime partnership. Could you elaborate on the maritime and port-related opportunities that could further enhance bilateral trade and connectivity?
A: Our maritime story is actually centuries old-dhows sailing between the western coast of India and the Omani ports long before the word “strategic” existed. His Majesty’s visit to India gave that historic reality a modern strategic shape. Maritime cooperation and connectivity are among the central pillars of the Joint Vision, reflecting Oman’s unique geography at the mouth of the Gulf and India’s role as a major Indian Ocean power.
Today, our ports at Duqm, Sohar and Salalah are emerging as key logistics and trans-shipment hubs with direct access to the Arabian Sea and the wider Indian Ocean. India already has access to the port of Duqm for naval and logistical purposes, which extends its operational reach in the western Indian Ocean and complements our shared interest in safe sea lanes, especially given recent disruptions in the region. Looking ahead, we see major opportunities in: integrated port-led industrial zones; linking Omani ports with Indian industrial corridors; collaborating within emerging initiatives such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor; and expanding cooperation in ship repair, bunkering, green fuels and maritime security. All of this builds directly on the strategic guidance that came out of the December 2023 summit.
Q: There is increasing interest among Indian business leaders to invest in Oman. Could you highlight the sectors attracting the most interest and any major investment plans that are currently under discussion?
A: The momentum we see from Indian investors is a direct response to the clarity provided by His Majesty’s visit and the Joint Vision. Oman Vision 2040 positions the Sultanate as a diversified, knowledge-based and logistics-driven economy, and Indian companies immediately recognise how well that aligns with India’s own outward investment push. Today, there are more than 6,000 India-Oman joint ventures in Oman across sectors, with estimated investments of over 700 million US dollars, and this number is growing. The strongest interest currently is in petrochemicals and energy value-chains, green hydrogen and green ammonia, manufacturing and metals, logistics and ports, mining and critical minerals, healthcare, education, tourism and hospitality, and ICT and digital services. The third tranche of the Oman-India Joint Investment Fund-announced during His Majesty’s visit-has also sent a strong signal that there are institutional vehicles ready to support large-scale projects from both sides. With CEPA on the horizon and the 70th anniversary of our diplomatic relations being celebrated, we expect a new wave of Indian investments that are long-term, technology-rich and job-creating for young Omanis.