PM Modi in Oman: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reached Oman, the final leg of his three-nation, four-day tour after concluding his visits to Jordan and Ethiopia.
The Prime Minister was welcomed
by Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said at the Muscat airport. He was also accorded a guard of honour at the airport.
“Landed in Muscat, Oman. This is a land of enduring friendship and deep historical connections with India. This visit offers an opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration and add fresh momentum to our partnership,” he said in a post on X.
Landed in Muscat, Oman. This is a land of enduring friendship and deep historical connections with India. This visit offers an opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration and add fresh momentum to our partnership. pic.twitter.com/RKZ5d8M1Jf
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 17, 2025
PM Modi is visiting Oman at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. During his two-day visit, he will hold talks with the country’s top leadership on strengthening the Strategic Partnership and expanding cooperation in commercial and economic sectors, and is expected to sign an ambitious trade deal.
This is his second visit to the Gulf nation and marks 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
What’s On Agenda?
India has said that it is “very optimistic” about finalising an ambitious trade deal with Oman during the visit. The free trade agreement between India and Oman was approved by the Union Cabinet last Friday. The FTA would open greater opportunities for sectors such as textiles, food processing, automobiles, auto components, and gems and jewellery.
Talks for the agreement, officially termed as CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement), formally began in November 2023, and the negotiations concluded this year.
In free trade agreements, the two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate customs duties on a maximum number of goods traded between them. They also ease norms to promote trade in services and attract investments. India already has a similar agreement with another GCC member, the UAE, which came into effect in May 2022. The other members of the council are Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
Oman is the third-largest export destination for India among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
“We are all very optimistic about it. The teams from both sides have been working very hard for its early finalisation,” Arun Chatterjee, a secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), had said at a media briefing when asked whether the proposed India-Oman comprehensive economic partnership agreement will be inked during Modi’s visit.
India-Oman bilateral trade was about $10.5 billion (exports $4 billion and imports $6.54 billion) in 2024-25. India’s key imports are petroleum products and urea. These account for over 70 per cent of imports. Other key products are propylene and ethylene polymers, pet coke, gypsum, chemicals, iron and steel, and unwrought aluminium.
The main items of India’s exports to Oman include mineral fuels, chemicals, precious metals, iron and steel, cereals, ships, boats and floating structures, electrical machinery, boilers, tea, coffee, spices, apparel, and food items.
During the visit, PM Modi is also scheduled to address a gathering of the Indian diaspora here.
(With inputs from agencies)
