UK and Oman state visit sets trade and defence plans

During Sultan Haitham bin Tarik's state visit to the UK from 20 to 22 October 2026, the two governments used a joint statement to do something very specific: tell the world where the relationship is heading next. The document, published on gov.uk, says both sides want a partnership that looks beyond ceremony and towards practical work on defence, trade, climate and education. At 10 Downing Street on 21 October, Prime Minister Andy Burnham and the Sultan grouped that work into four big themes. If you are new to foreign policy, this is worth noticing. A joint statement is not a law and not quite a treaty either. It is a public checklist: here is what we agree on, here is what we plan to build, and here is the message we want allies, investors and rivals to hear. **What this means:** when two countries choose to spell out priorities this clearly, they are trying to reduce uncertainty. Officials, businesses, universities and armed forces can all start planning around the same script.

The relationship is not being presented as new. The statement ties today's plans to older agreements signed in 2019, including the Comprehensive Agreement of Enduring Friendship and Bilateral Cooperation and the Joint Defence Agreement. It also points to the regular machinery that keeps the partnership moving, such as ministerial talks, joint defence meetings and the Strategic Advisory Group. That matters because foreign policy is often less about one grand moment than about whether the paperwork, meetings and funding lines actually exist. Oman also matters to the UK because it sits beside the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping routes, and because London sees Muscat as a steady regional partner that can connect security, trade and diplomacy in the Gulf. **What this means:** when officials talk about an enduring friendship, they are not only being polite. They are signalling that this is a relationship with structure, history and reasons to last.

One of the clearest parts of the statement is about security. The UK and Oman say they want to modernise their defence partnership by deepening industrial links, military cooperation and work on testing, innovation and future capability. In plain English, that means not only training together but also looking at how equipment, expertise and new defence technology can be developed and used together. Senior ministers reinforced that message too: the UK Defence Secretary and Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs restated their commitment to updating the partnership. The exercise series known as Saif Sareea remains the standout symbol of that military relationship, and both countries say they are preparing for Saif Sareea IV. They also want to expand work on maritime security and information sharing, while bringing cyber security and national resilience further into the partnership. **What this means:** this is bigger than joint drills. It suggests both governments want defence ties that cover the digital world, supply chains and the ability to respond to shocks as well as traditional armed forces.

Trade is the second big pillar, and here the language is carefully forward-looking. The UK's Trade Minister and Oman's Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion used the visit to discuss the steps still needed before the UK-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement can be signed. That matters because Oman is part of the GCC, so any UK-GCC deal would sit above the bilateral relationship and could make it easier for goods, services and investment to move across borders. Alongside that, the two sides want the UK-Oman Strategic Advisory Group to stay at the centre of investment talks. They also announced a Sovereign Partnership for Cooperation and Promotion of Investment, linking the UK's Office for Investment with the Oman Investment Authority. The focus is on green growth, advanced technologies, critical minerals, space, industrial zones, regional connectivity and finance for growing firms, with Oman being presented as a base for reaching wider regional markets. **What this means:** free trade agreements are not magic switches. Even when they are politically important, the real test is whether businesses can use them. This statement shows both governments trying to build the supporting structures before the bigger trade deal lands.

Climate policy runs through the economic section rather than sitting off to one side. The UK and Oman say they want to work together on green industries and decarbonisation, treating cleaner growth as an economic opportunity as well as an environmental duty. UK Export Finance and Oman's Net Zero Centre announced stronger cooperation on green projects, and the UK welcomed plans for an Oman Green Growth Roadshow in 2027. There is also real money in this part of the story. UK Export Finance has raised its country limit for Oman by £1.6 billion, taking the total available capacity to £7 billion to support UK exports into the country. Net Zero Industry Wales and the Oman Net Zero Centre are also set to work together so that industrial sites, renewable energy sectors, universities and public bodies can share knowledge more directly. **What this means:** net zero diplomacy is not only about speeches at climate summits. It often looks like export credit, industrial partnerships and deals that try to turn climate goals into jobs, contracts and cleaner infrastructure.

The statement also treats advanced technology as an area where both sides want faster movement. Artificial intelligence, data centres, critical minerals and space are all named as priorities for roundtables, visits and technical exchanges. That is a sign that the partnership is being framed around sectors governments think will matter most over the next decade. One practical example is the agreement between the UK Space Agency and the Oman National Space Programme. The plan is to share good practice, explore future work on space launch and encourage commercial partnerships. The statement also backs a UK-Oman Innovation Initiative, plus Growth Hub and Growth Fund arrangements meant to help firms grow, scale up and enter each other's markets. **What this means:** when diplomats start talking about data centres, space launch and critical minerals, they are talking about power as much as profit. These are the industries countries increasingly treat as strategic, not merely commercial.

On regional and global politics, the statement uses familiar diplomatic language but it still tells us something important. The Foreign Secretary and Oman's Foreign Minister continued detailed talks on bilateral, regional and global affairs, while the wider document commits both countries to peace, stability, humanitarian response and dialogue. It repeats support for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine and underlines the need to follow international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. For younger readers, the reference to the Strait of Hormuz is one to notice. Oman sits beside a route through which a large share of the world's shipping passes, so questions about maritime security there quickly become global questions about energy, trade and military risk. The statement backs safe passage and freedom of navigation while also reaffirming Oman's sovereignty over its own waters. To support closer diplomatic work, the two sides plan joint activity between His Majesty's Diplomatic Service College and the Oman Diplomatic Academy. **What this means:** some of the most important lines in diplomatic texts are the ones that sound the driest. When countries restate support for international law and shipping security, they are signalling where they stand if tensions rise.

The final part of the statement leans on a longer story built by sailors, soldiers, students, scientists and diplomats rather than by one visit alone. The UK and Oman want stronger links in heritage, tourism, air connectivity, sport and the creative industries, while the British Omani Society is presented as a bridge for the next generation. The Prince of Wales and Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said are both named as supporters of that effort. Education sits near the centre of this people-to-people agenda. Both sides welcomed the return of Chevening Scholarships for Oman for the first time since 2021, a British Council pilot using AI-assisted education in Omani schools, new Oman Net Zero Centre-Cardiff University scholarships, and closer work on skills and professional qualifications. The Omani Education Minister also met the British Council's chief executive to discuss how emerging technology could be used in education. If you are trying to read the whole statement in one sentence, it is this: Britain and Oman are trying to turn a long-standing friendship into a more organised plan for security, business, climate action and learning, with Oman's Vision 2040 and the UK's growth agenda both in view.