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The UK government said in a statement that the state visit by Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has resulted in a new agreement to boost investment between the two nations building on the Sovereign Investment Partnership established in 2022. The pact targets key sectors including renewable energy technology critical minerals space healthcare and financial services. Officials anticipate the deals will support job creation in multiple regions of the UK as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is scheduled to hold talks with the Sultan on October 22 following a state banquet attended by King Charles III and other members of the royal family. The visit the first by an Omani sultan since 1982 underscores the strategic partnership between the countries amid regional tensions. Burnham highlighted shared priorities in remarks released ahead of the meeting.
“Economic growth security defence education: these are just some of the priorities we share as we plot a course through an increasingly complex world” Burnham said. King Charles III praised Oman’s “noble efforts” to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz during a banquet at Windsor Castle. The monarch also lauded the longstanding diplomatic and military ties.
Figures from Oman’s National Centre for Statistics and Information place British direct investment in the sultanate at RO 16.8 billion by the end of June 2026. Bilateral trade in the first seven months of this year already exceeded the full-year total for 2025 reaching RO 387.9 million. Britain accounts for over 52 percent of Oman’s total accumulated foreign direct investment.
The 2022 Sovereign Investment Partnership has driven significant growth in economic ties with UK FDI in Oman rising by $12 billion since its signing according to Omani data. During the current visit both sides aim to translate opportunities into concrete projects in clean energy and advanced manufacturing. Oman’s ambassador to the UK noted the potential for partnerships in green hydrogen and tourism.
The agreement is expected to attract Omani capital into British projects helping to meet the government’s goals for regional prosperity and high-quality employment. Similar partnerships with Gulf states have previously unlocked billions in investment and thousands of jobs across the UK a pattern seen in recent deals with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
