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.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
MATCH INFO
Jersey 147 (20 overs)
UAE 112 (19.2 overs)
Jersey win by 35 runs
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
RESULT
Copa del Rey, semi-final second leg
Real Madrid 0
Barcelona 3 (Suarez (50', 73' pen), Varane (69' OG)
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Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World by Michael Ignatieff
Harvard University Press
