UAE, Oman hold first round of consular consultations to enhance bilateral cooperation

ABU DHABI, 30th January, 2026 (WAM) — The United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman convened the first round of consular consultations at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi, with the aim of exploring ways to strengthen constructive cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

The UAE side was headed by Omar Obaid Alhesan Alshamsi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Omani side was led by Sheikh Khalid bin Hashil Al Muslahi, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Administrative and Financial Affairs. The consultations were attended by representatives from relevant government entities in both countries.

At the outset of the meeting, Alshamsi conveyed the greetings of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his best wishes for the success of the consultations.

He commended the deep-rooted fraternal relations between the two countries, which are founded on a rich historical legacy and solid pillars of cooperation and mutual understanding laid down by the founding fathers, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his brother the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said.

Alshamsi noted that these relations continue to progress and flourish across various consular, cultural, political, security, and economic fields under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his brother His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Sultan of Oman. This is reflected in the signing of numerous agreements, memoranda of understanding, and strategic partnerships in vital sectors, in a manner that serves the aspirations and interests of the two brotherly peoples.

For his part, Al Muslahi conveyed the greetings of Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, the Foreign Minister, and his sincere wishes for the success of the UAE–Oman consular consultations. He commended the depth of the fraternal relations between the two countries and the commitment of their wise leaderships to enhancing cooperation and coordination in the consular field.

He emphasised that the meeting stems from a shared recognition of the importance of developing consular work as an integral part of crisis management frameworks and the protection of national interests. This requires strengthening mechanisms for joint coordination and effective integration on issues of mutual concern, particularly consular support and the facilitation of services, procedures, and measures that serve the citizens of both countries and facilitate procedures.

The first round of consular consultations represents an important step toward enhancing coordination and constructive engagement, and toward consolidating joint working tracks in consular fields.

The consultations included discussions on opportunities for exchanging expertise, knowledge, and best practices in citizen services, particularly search and rescue services and related operations between the UAE and Oman, in addition to services for foreign nationals, as well as digital attestation and document verification services.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Omani delegation toured the UAE’s Smart Mission prototype – the first of its kind globally – which relies on an integrated system of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence solutions to deliver pioneering consular services. This reflects the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to leveraging the latest technologies to simplify and digitise government procedures and enhance customer experience across UAE missions worldwide.