Eduardo González
The new ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman, Thamir bin Faiz Al-Alawi, presented the Copies of his Credentials to the Director General of Protocol, Adrián Martín Couce, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, diplomatic sources told The Diplomat.
On April 9, the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik Al Said, placed his trust in Thamir bin Faiz Al-Alawi to serve as ambassador to Spain, according to the Embassy in Madrid. The oath-of-office ceremony was presided over by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi.
Specifically, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares held a telephone conversation with his Omani counterpart on March 27, discussing “the excellent relations of friendship and cooperation” between the two countries and the situation in the region and the main global challenges, according to reports from both ministers on social media.
Thamir bin Faiz Al-Alawi replaces Omar al-Kathiri, who left the Embassy in Madrid last November to take over as head of his country’s Mission to the United Nations in New York.
The Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Spain established diplomatic relations in 1972. Oman appointed its first ambassador to Spain in 2006, and the Embassy of Oman in Madrid was inaugurated in 2007. In addition, the Spanish Embassy in Muscat was inaugurated in 2004, and an economic and commercial office was opened at this representation in 2008.
King Felipe VI visited Oman in January 2020 to offer his condolences on the passing of Sultan Qaboos bin Said. In addition, King Emeritus Juan Carlos I made several visits to the Sultanate, the last of which was an official visit in 2014, during which he was accompanied by several Spanish ministers and during which several agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed in various areas.
In 2013, a memorandum of understanding on political consultations was signed to facilitate dialogue and coordination between the two countries, and on October 30 of that year, the first round of bilateral political consultations between the two countries was held.
Over the past ten years, bilateral foreign trade has shown a growing trend, although it remains relatively modest. Spain recorded a surplus in its trade relations with Oman worth $27 million in 2023. In 2022, Oman ranked 84th on the list of countries importing Spanish goods and 74th on the list of countries exporting goods to Spain.
