The European Union and Oman have officially agreed to establish a permanent diplomatic mission in Muscat. This move serves to strengthen the influence of the European bloc within the Gulf region.
On Tuesday, European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas and Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi finalized the legal documents for the new office. Brussels officials stated that this development reinforces ties with Oman and recognizes the country’s strategic importance in the area.
Kallas emphasized that this initiative supports ongoing cooperation with regional partners and reflects the EU’s objective of enhancing security partnerships across the Gulf. This new outpost joins a global network of 145 existing EU delegations, which Kallas described as a vital strategic resource.
While EU-Gulf ties are rooted in a 1989 agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, the bloc also maintains individual bilateral arrangements with every GCC member nation. Previous cooperation agreements were established with Kuwait in 2016, followed by the UAE, Qatar, and Oman in 2018, as well as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in 2021.
