Thursday 17 / September / 2026
Luanda: The upcoming state visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to the Republic of Angola assumes particular significance in the trajectory of Omani-Angolan relations, given the continuous development they are witnessing and the opportunities the visit carries for expanding the scope of cooperation and partnership between the two friendly countries.
The visit comes amid growing momentum in bilateral relations over the past two years, particularly since the official visit of President João Manuel Lourenço of the Republic of Angola to the Sultanate of Oman in December 2024, which constituted a milestone in the trajectory of bilateral relations.
Since then, relations have moved toward broadening cooperation to encompass economic, investment, logistical, and cultural sectors, reflecting the establishment of the African Bank of Oman in Luanda in April 2026 as a step toward strengthening financial cooperation mechanisms and facilitating trade and investment flows between the two countries.
Omar Patrício, Director-General of the Arab World Foundation in Angola, believes that the visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik represents a landmark in the trajectory of bilateral relations and a culmination of a process that has been taking tangible shape over recent years. He affirmed that the visit provides opportunities to establish a new phase of cooperation between the two countries.
He told Oman News Agency (ONA) that the energy and mining sectors are witnessing clear momentum, particularly with the practical steps taken in investment in the Catoca and Luele diamond mines, noting that the African Bank of Oman represents a financial instrument that could contribute to facilitating trade and investment exchange between the two countries.
He pointed out that the logistical sector, in turn, offers opportunities for cooperation through the potential linkage between Omani ports, including Duqm, Sohar, and Salalah, and Angolan ports in Luanda and Lobito, particularly given the growing international interest in the Lobito Corridor, noting that there is potential for growth in the volume of trade exchange between the two countries.
On the cultural front, Omar Patrício explained that the Arab World Foundation in Angola is working to enhance communication between the Lusophone world and the Arab world, considering that the Royal visit of His Majesty represents an opportunity to strengthen this communication, not only in economic fields but also in the areas of language, culture, and mutual understanding between the Angolan and Omani peoples.
On his turn, Feliciano Dias dos Santos, a specialist in economic and international relations, noted that the timing of the visit comes at a stage when Angola is moving toward diversifying its economic partnerships and expanding its international relations on the basis of mutual interests.
He added that the Sultanate of Oman could represent for Angola a gateway to the Arab world and the Gulf region, while Angola offers the Sultanate of Oman access to a growing African market and its natural resources, including oil, gas, minerals, and agricultural land, in addition to its geographical location on the Atlantic Ocean.
He affirmed that the economic and geographical potentials enjoyed by both countries provide multiple areas for cooperation, alongside what the exchange of expertise in a number of priority sectors could offer, thereby supporting the building of more diversified economic partnerships.
He noted that a visit at the highest levels could drive the translation of existing diplomatic relations into practical cooperation projects and programs, particularly given the steps witnessed in relations between the two countries in the fields of energy, trade, training, and technical cooperation.
Meanwhile, the Angolan media coverage has highlighted the importance of the His Majesty’s visit in advancing bilateral relations toward broader areas of cooperation, at a time when the partnership between Muscat and Luanda is witnessing growing development at both the political and economic levels.
In this context, Angola Press Agency noted in a report that the visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to Luanda comes within the framework of strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries and contributes to continuing the understandings reached by both sides over recent years.
The agency highlighted that the visit comes at a time when Omani-Angolan relations are witnessing growing convergence, with potential to expand cooperation to include the mining, energy, technology, tourism, agriculture, food security, transport, logistics, and ports sectors, reflecting the breadth of areas of partnership between the two countries.
The agency's report addressed the political and diplomatic relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Angola, which date back to 2005, highlighting the visit of the Angolan President to the Sultanate of Oman in December 2024 as one of the prominent milestones in the trajectory of convergence between the two countries. That visit contributed to enhancing dialogue between Luanda and Muscat and witnessed discussions on the state of bilateral relations and the identification of new areas of cooperation, with particular attention to economic, commercial, and investment sectors.
The agency added that the Angolan President's visit provided scope for greater participation by Omani investors in the Angolan economy and contributed to giving new momentum to dialogue between the two countries, noting that His Majesty's visit to Angola allows for the continuation of the understandings reached by the two countries and the deepening of cooperation opportunities in a number of strategic sectors for both economies.
