The United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman held the first round of consular consultations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Abu Dhabi, focusing on ways to enhance constructive cooperation in areas of shared interest.
The UAE delegation was led by His Excellency Omar Obaid Alhesan Alshamsi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Omani side was headed by His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Hashil Al Muslahi, Undersecretary for Administrative and Financial Affairs at Oman’s Foreign Ministry. Representatives from relevant government entities in both countries also attended the meeting.
At the opening of the consultations, His Excellency Omar Obaid Alhesan Alshamsi conveyed the greetings of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and extended his best wishes for the success of the discussions. He highlighted the strong fraternal ties between the UAE and Oman, founded on a shared historical legacy and enduring cooperation established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said.
He noted that these relations continue to grow across consular, cultural, political, security and economic fields under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Sultan of Oman.
This progress is reflected in the signing of numerous agreements, memoranda of understanding and strategic partnerships in key sectors, supporting the aspirations and interests of both nations.
For his part, His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Hashil Al Muslahi conveyed the greetings of His Excellency Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Oman’s Foreign Minister, and expressed his sincere wishes for the success of the consultations. He commended the depth of the brotherly relationship between the two countries and the commitment of their leaderships to strengthening cooperation in consular affairs.
He emphasised that the meeting stems from a shared understanding of the importance of developing consular work as a core component of crisis management and the protection of national interests. This includes reinforcing joint coordination and integration on matters of mutual concern, particularly citizen support and the facilitation of consular services and procedures.
The inaugural round of consultations marks a significant step towards enhancing coordination, encouraging constructive engagement and consolidating joint working frameworks in consular fields.
The discussions also explored opportunities to exchange expertise, knowledge and best practices in citizen services, including search and rescue operations, services for foreign nationals, and digital attestation and document verification.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Omani delegation visited the UAE’s Smart Mission prototype, the first of its kind globally, which leverages advanced technologies and artificial intelligence to deliver innovative consular services. The initiative reflects the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to digitising procedures and enhancing customer experience across UAE missions worldwide.
