High-ranking officials from Oman and the European Union held talks on Tuesday on a potential Schengen visa waiver for Omani citizens and the opening of an EU office in Muscat.
Enrique Mora, the bloc's deputy secretary general for political affairs, said during a visit to the Gulf state that “within two weeks the EU will approve the entry of the Sultanate of Oman into negotiations aimed at exempting Omani citizens from the Schengen visa”.
Mr Mora said negotiations between the EU and the GCC were continuing in the fields of free trade, security and technology.
"The EU looks forward to increasing co-operation with these countries," he said.
Omani residents who are planning visits to Europe can wait up to two months to obtain their Schengen visas, making it extremely difficult to plan journeys, local media has reported.
Mr Mora praised Oman’s "historic role" and its efforts in resolving many regional and international issues, especially with regard to the Iranian nuclear file.
“Oman is an increasingly relevant regional player and a key EU interlocutor,” he said.
“We also talked about the bilateral questions that were looming and we are looking forward to increasing our political dialogues."
Oman’s Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Harthy, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Diplomatic Affairs, said relations between his country and the EU were “developing and growing”.
“The Sultanate welcomes the European partnership strategy with the countries of the Co-operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and looks forward to strengthening relations in various fields,” he said.
The EU has expressed interest in green energy and hydrogen, the Omani official said. Muscat was looking to "diversify its income", he said.
"It can be done through renewable energy, which is very important and is a big part of the Oman 2040 vision," he said. "The Sultanate also seeks to benefit from the experience of the European Union in the aspect of diversifying sources of income."
Mr Mora said the EU was seeking alternatives to liquefied gas and prospects for co-operation in green energy.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
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Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
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