Oman, France Deepen Economic Partnership with Major Investment Agreements at Paris Business Forum

Paris, The Gulf Observer: His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday attended the Omani-Franco Business Forum in Paris, where both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening economic and investment cooperation through a series of strategic agreements spanning key sectors.

The forum, held during His Majesty Sultan Haitham’s official visit to France, highlighted the growing partnership between the Sultanate of Oman and the French Republic, with leaders from both nations pledging to expand collaboration and unlock new investment opportunities.

Addressing the gathering, Sultan Haitham praised the steady progress in bilateral economic and investment relations, emphasizing the importance of enhancing joint efforts to establish promising ventures across multiple sectors.

“I am happy to be here in Paris. It has been a great day today. We have talked about so many things that concern Oman and France, and the rest of the world,” the Sultan said, adding that the agreements signed during the visit marked a significant advancement compared to previous years.

He welcomed France’s commitment to expanding cooperation and reiterated that Oman remains open to French investors while expressing confidence that Omani businesses would actively pursue investment opportunities in France.

The business forum was jointly organized by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), Business France, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, and the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) to strengthen commercial ties between the two countries.

A number of agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed during the event, covering strategic sectors including energy, industry, automotive, education, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, aviation, space technology, renewable energy and luxury fragrances.

In the space sector, Omani spaceport company Etlaq signed an agreement with French aerospace firm Latitude to cooperate on launching light rockets from Oman’s Etlaq Spaceport. Meanwhile, MBsat concluded a memorandum of understanding with Telespazio for satellite services and ground station operations.

In aviation, Ankaa Space and Technologies partnered with French defence and technology company Thales to supply, install and operate a new generation of air traffic control radar systems for Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority.

The transport sector also witnessed new partnerships, with Al Hashar Group signing an agreement with Renault to distribute the French automaker’s vehicles in Oman, while Mohsin Haider Darwish Group entered into a commercial agreement with Michelin for tyre supplies.

Energy and industrial cooperation was further strengthened through an agreement between the National Energy and Engineering Company and French group Sagemcom to assemble smart electricity meters in Rusayl Industrial City. Al Fajar Al Alamia Company also reached an agreement with Saint-Gobain to explore investment opportunities in Oman’s natural gypsum sector.

In the luxury fragrance industry, Amouage Perfumes signed a memorandum of understanding with French cosmetics giant L’Oréal to cooperate in premium perfume manufacturing, talent development and expertise exchange.

The education and technology sectors also saw expanded collaboration as Ghubaira International concluded multiple partnership agreements with French institutions covering e-learning, school development, cybersecurity certification, artificial intelligence and computer vision technologies.

The forum additionally highlighted a 120-megawatt wind power project being developed through a partnership between Bahwan Group and France’s EDF Group, based on a contract signed in December 2025. A satellite development contract between Oman’s Space Communication Technologies and Airbus Defence and Space was also announced.

Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Faisal bin Abdullah Al Rowas said the participation of Sultan Haitham and President Macron reflected the strong commitment of both governments to deepening economic cooperation and encouraging private sector partnerships.

He said the agreements signed during the forum would promote knowledge transfer, advanced technology, innovation and high-quality investments, contributing to Oman’s economic diversification goals under Oman Vision 2040 while strengthening bilateral trade and investment.

The forum concluded with both sides reaffirming their determination to expand cooperation across sectors of mutual interest, reinforcing the longstanding economic partnership between Oman and France.