Omani newspapers continue to focus on the visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman to the State of Qatar, in response to an official invitation from His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State, to open new avenues for supporting cooperation and coordination between the two brotherly countries in all fields, particularly in continuing the journey of bilateral cooperation.
The Oman newspaper lauded the historical relations between Qatar and Oman, highlighting the "political and social relations" and describing them as "ancient relations with political, social, and cultural roots when history was unified and geography was an indivisible unity." The newspaper noted the warm reception that His Majesty the Sultan received upon his arrival in Doha, stating, "When the State of Qatar, its land, people, and Emir, warmly welcomed His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq—may God protect him—it was receiving in his person all those historical and social roots in their geographic dimension."
"These roots can today provide the best groundwork to stand upon for new desires to enhance convergence through windows of bilateral economic projects between the two countries, and fruitful cooperation in various fields starting from investment and not ending with high military and security aspects." The newspaper pointed to the agreements signed the day before yesterday between Qatar and the Sultanate, stressing that they open new horizons for genuine partnership between the two countries, culminating in a modern manifestation of that historical extension.
Regarding the Sultan's message, the Omani newspaper Al-Ruya highlighted the high visit made by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development in Doha as part of the state visit. The newspaper published a handwritten message from His Majesty in the guest book at the Education City in Doha, where he praised His Highness’s patronage of education and knowledge, expressing his pleasure at visiting the educational city and the prestigious educational and research institutes it hosts.
Al-Ruya discussed His Majesty's visit to the Qatar National Library, where an overview of the library’s main functions and the resources, references, and manuscripts it holds to serve researchers and students in various scientific and literary fields was presented. It mentioned that His Majesty also wrote in the guest book at the National Library, praising the efforts of the State of Qatar led by its Emir to elevate education, innovation, and community development.
Hatem Al-Tai, the editor-in-chief of Al-Ruya, wrote an article titled "Oman and Qatar Towards Glory," where he pointed out that Omanis hold special feelings towards their Qatari brothers. He affirmed that "the relationship between Oman and Qatar is becoming more solid in the light of the mutual interest from the leaders of both countries to strengthen cooperation ties and enhance partnership links." He added, "A review of the foreign policies of both countries shows a consensus on many issues and files, aimed at establishing peace and harmony worldwide." Oman and Qatar are keen on achieving stability both regionally and internationally, and this is evident in many positions and policies supporting diplomatic solutions and striving to build international partnerships based on cooperation and common interests.
On the economic level, the editor-in-chief stated, "The economic partnership between Oman and Qatar is on the verge of further cooperation and joint projects; the numerous potentials in both countries deserve to enhance trade and economic relations." There is no doubt that Qatar is a strong and significant investor in various fields, and increasing Qatari investments in Oman will benefit both parties.
In an article in the Omani newspaper Al-Watan, Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Sha'ili, a member of the Omani State Council, wrote under the title "Muscat and Doha... A History of Convergence and Brotherhood." He commended the relations between the State of Qatar and the Sultanate of Oman, saying, "Omani-Qatari relations have retained a clear specificity and a distinguished character on both the official and popular levels," adding, "This is reflected in the significant convergence between the two countries in various aspects, particularly in political and social matters."
For over 50 years, the convergence has always been present between the two leaderships, and discussions and exchanges of views between them regarding the situation in the Gulf region and its future have remained consistent. Visits between Muscat and Doha have not ceased in a bid to establish stability in the region and push it toward higher horizons that meet the aspirations of their people and fulfill the objectives for which the Gulf Cooperation Council was established.
Dr. Al-Sha'ili noted the shared historical aspects between the two brotherly nations, "Both shared the beginning of renaissance and the development path in the early 1970s, and the decision to exchange ambassadors between the two countries in 1973 and 1974 was a significant turning point in the journey of mutual cooperation, resulting in a substantial intertwining between Oman and Qatar at both leadership and popular levels." He added, "We can confidently say that the relations between Muscat and Doha are among the exemplary international and regional relationships that can be emulated in successful relations between brotherly and friendly countries."
On the topic of mutual interests, analyst Ali Al-Mut'ani wrote in Al-Shabiba that the visit of His Majesty the Sultan to the sisterly State of Qatar crowns the Omani-Qatari relations that are witnessing remarkable development at many levels and dimensions, particularly economically. This reflects the depth of the brotherly relationship between the two countries and their peoples and translates the mutual connections and interests, in addition to the shared visions on political stances regarding regional and international issues and the alignment of viewpoints on many significant bilateral and regional matters.
Al-Mut'ani added, "This forms a significant launch based on these relations and makes this visit another step toward strengthening these solid ties and a strong impetus toward greater levels that reflect the ambitions of the leaderships of both countries and the aspirations of their peoples for a pivotal stage in strategic partnerships aimed at further cooperation and exchanging interests."
Regarding economic cooperation between the two brotherly countries, the analyst noted, "It is fortunate that the economic relations between the Sultanate and the sisterly State of Qatar have witnessed jumps in recent times." He added that this indicates that the areas of economic cooperation guiding the paths of collaboration between countries at this stage are vast and can develop positively by benefiting from the solid groundwork that these relations are built upon and the advantages and facilities that the governments of both countries strive to establish to support joint investments and facilitate job opportunities for investors from both nations, prioritizing commercial exchanges and bilateral dealings, which necessitates the private sectors in the Sultanate and the State of Qatar to pay more attention to economic cooperation and open wider horizons for investments and commercial exchanges between the two countries.
