The Emirati-Omani relations are exceptional and well-established throughout the ages

Amna Al Ketbi (Dubai)

The well-established historical relations between the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman extend into a single social and cultural fabric, and have their own character, and are based on deep brotherhood, good neighbourhood, and familial overlap, along with a large and diverse base rich in common interests.
The brotherly relations between the United Arab Emirates and the brotherly Sultanate of Oman stem from common and solid foundations framed by historical, cultural, social and economic ties, and have crystallized over many years in all fields, including political, strategic and economic, and are a model of what relations between brothers should be, and what It meets the aspirations of the two brotherly peoples.
Deepening relations with the Sultanate of Oman is a major priority for the country’s leadership, which was expressed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, by saying: “The UAE and Oman are deep-rooted brothers and extended relations that are only increased by days with firmness, strength and love.”

joint work
The relationship between the two countries constitutes a fundamental pillar at the level of joint action within the framework of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, as well as at the general Arab level within the framework of the League of Arab States, by virtue of the convergence of views and belief in the principles and foundations on which relations and cooperation between brotherly and friendly countries should be based, and in Foremost among them is respect for sovereignty, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and cooperation in good faith to achieve common and mutual interests. These are principles that represent the framework for dealing between countries in accordance with international conventions.
The two countries have diverse social, cultural, political and economic relations, which are combined by historical and geographical ties, characterized by the rapprochement based on good neighborliness, social ties and ties of origin, blood, lineage, language and religion. since thousands of years.

Historically very deep relations
The nature of the relationship between the Emirati and Omani peoples is characterized as familial, as the two countries have very deep relations historically, and the most prominent pillars of this relationship are religion, language, lineage, the single roots of tribes and families, neighborhood with common long borders, common history, and unity of interests, and these relations are not limited to taking into account interests and constructive cooperation in Not only areas of common interest, but they have always been relations of a special nature that distinguishes the two countries from sincere brotherhood, closeness and geographical overlap based on good neighborliness and close social and family ties that enjoy great prestige among the two brotherly peoples, and are supported by the ties of history and common Islamic, Arab and Gulf affiliation.

5 land ports linking the two countries
The UAE is linked by land borders with the Sultanate of Oman, and there are five land ports linking the two countries, including: Al-Wajja port between the Sultanate and the Emirate of Dubai, the Wadi Al-Jizzi and Hafeet ports between the Sultanate and the city of Al-Ain, the Khatma Milaha port between the Sultanate and the Emirate of Sharjah, and the Tibat port between the Sultanate and the Emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah.
In recent years, economic and commercial cooperation relations between the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman have grown, and the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai and Transport in Oman have launched an international bus line between Dubai and Muscat in a move aimed at enhancing land transport and facilitating the movement of passengers between the two countries. Buses of this line depart from Abu Hail Bus Station. The price of a one-way ticket is 55 dirhams. This was considered an important step in the way of expanding and strengthening the international transport network between the two countries, and the beginning of an integration project in the transport network between the two countries. This step came in the interest of the safety and comfort of passengers traveling between the Sultanate of Oman and the UAE on board advanced, safe and comfortable buses specially designed to transport passengers over long distances. . Cultural heritage The elements of the common cultural heritage between the Sultanate and the Emirates include several elements, most notably: the participation of Omani theater groups in all theatrical and artistic festivals in the Emirates, and the art of Al-Ayala, which has been documented by “UNESCO” as a common pattern in the list of intangible heritage, and the dagger industry, and shooting with knives, and many others. .

Documenting the art of “Al-Ayala”
The UAE and Oman reached a joint agreement on documenting the art of “Al-Ayala”, which is one of the folk arts in which men display folk songs and chants, with “UNESCO” as a common pattern, especially since the social overlap and the participation of the Emirates and Oman tribes in many inherited manifestations makes coordination in Cultural work is required as an entry point for documentation, heritage revival and preservation, in cooperation between specialists in the two countries. Shipbuilding is also one of the common industries between the two countries, but the Omanis have excelled in this industry for thousands of years, and the Omani city of Sur was the most famous city overlooking the Indian Ocean in shipbuilding.

Tourism traffic
The tourism movement from the Emirates to the Sultanate is witnessing a great growth through the land and air routes that connect the two countries, and many Emirati carriers organize daily trips to Muscat and other tourist places in the Sultanate. It has distinctive and unique attractions and excellent shopping opportunities, in addition to the multiple options in entertainment and entertainment, which represent the most important reasons behind Dubai’s attraction for Omani tourists.

Shared visions
The total number of Emirati visitors coming to the Sultanate of Oman through the various ports until the end of March 2022 reached 131,585 visitors. The two brotherly countries have common visions regarding the tourism sector, as Omanis participate strongly in all tourism activities in the United Arab Emirates.
The strong and well-established relations between the two brotherly countries are based on a unique model of sincere brotherhood, good neighborliness, kinship ties, and close social and family ties. The joint efforts between the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates have contributed to achieving many aspirations of the people of the two brotherly countries, as the Sultanate of Oman and the UAE are the first two countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council to adopt the personal card as a document for the movement of their citizens instead of passports since 1993, which is What has been adopted and circulated within the framework of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.

business partner
The UAE is the largest trading partner of the Sultanate of Oman in the world, as it is the largest exporter to Oman and the largest importer from it, and it accounts for more than 40% of the total imports of Oman from the world, while it accounts for about 20% of Oman’s exports to global markets. Non-oil trade between the two countries in 2021 exceeded 46 billion dirhams, with a growth of 9% compared to 2020, and the average growth in trade between the two countries during the last 5 years was about 10%. On the other hand, the Sultanate of Oman is the second largest Gulf trading partner of the UAE, accounting for 20% of the UAE’s total trade with the GCC countries. The statistics showed that the total Emirati investments in the Sultanate of Oman amounted to about one billion and 207 million Omani riyals at the end of 2021, while the total investments during the first quarter of 2022 reached about one billion and 230 million Omani riyals, and the number of Omani companies operating in the UAE reached 230 companies and 22 agencies. An Omani business registered in the UAE until the end of 2021 is investing about 3.8 billion dirhams, while the number of Emirati companies operating in the Sultanate has reached 3,300, with a total investment of about 1.7 billion dirhams. In the real estate market, the value of real estate owned by Omanis in the UAE amounted to 17 billion dirhams in 2021.

16 cooperation agreements
The visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, to the Sultanate of Oman recently resulted in the signing of 16 agreements and memorandums of understanding between the two countries, including energy, cooperation on transport, communications and logistics, maritime transport, cooperation and investment in the fields of industry and the cultural field. and youth, cooperation in the fields of agricultural, animal and fish wealth, food safety, higher education, scientific research, innovation and vocational training, cooperation in the field of news and exchange of information related to money laundering and associated predicate offenses and financing of terrorism, cooperation between the Oman Railways Company and the Etihad Rail Company, and notes on communications and information technology And others in the areas of the stock market and financial markets, and the size of these agreements and the comprehensiveness of their fields and the diversity of their projects constitute a start towards a fateful partnership that affirms that Oman and its sister country, the Emirates, are on the path to achieving integration in various fields.