MUSCAT: Oman is Iran’s priority in trade as new opportunities are opening up for foreign investors following a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, said the Iranian ambassador to the Sultanate.
Since a couple of months ago, several major countries have been sending trade delegations to Iran to have a share of Iran’s market in various sectors and a number of high-ranking officials plan to pay a visit to Iran in the near future, ambassador Ali Akbar Sibeveih told ‘Times of Oman’ in an exclusive interview.
“However, we will give priority to those friends who stood by us during the time of hardship. Definitely, the Sultanate of Oman and His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said have a special and important place among Iran’s loyal friends,” Sibeveih said.
The lifting of the sanctions will give a significant boost to Iran-Oman bilateral trade and Iran will show its ‘loyalty’ to the Sultanate, he noted.
Sibeveih said that Iran and Oman have ‘exemplary’ political relations but still there is untapped trade potential which needs to be utilised to enhance bilateral economic ties.
According to him, a bright future is awaiting trade ties between the two countries due to a number of factors including the development of ports in Oman, especially the Port of Duqm, which will be a major port in the region.
Oman will become a major hub for the transit of goods from Iran to other countries and vice versa, he said, adding that the transit corridor that will connect Iran and Oman with a number of Central Asian countries will create new trade opportunities as well.
The upcoming projects between Iran and Oman are also of high significance, the ambassador said.
Recently, a shipping line was established between the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and Sohar Port in Oman, he said, expressing hope that more ports will be connected in future as planned to facilitate trade.
The project for constructing a pipeline for carrying Iranian gas to Oman is another major project, Sibeveih said.
The agreement for the purchase of around $60 billion worth of natural gas from Iran for 25 years, which includes laying a $1 billion gas pipeline to Oman across the Gulf, was signed during the visit of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to Muscat in March 2014. The laying of the gas pipeline is expected to start in the next few months, the ambassador noted.
He added that there are huge investment opportunities for foreign investors, including other Gulf countries, in various fields such as oil and gas and tourism. Iran had already opened the doors of trade to other Gulf countries and still extends the hand of cooperation and friendship to them, Sibeveih said.
Tourism is a major source of income for many countries and Iran has been developing its infrastructure to receive tourists from all over the world, he added.
The ambassador said that Iran and other countries, especially in the Gulf region, can increase their tourism cooperation and tourists should know how safe and secure Iran is. Foreign investors are welcome to invest in projects for building hotels and tourism facilities given Iran’s huge tourism potential and its rich culture and history, he noted.
Commenting on the expected increase in Iran’s oil exports after the implementation of the deal, Sibeveih said that Iran is one of the founding members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and will regain its share of the oil export market.
