Monday 02 / November / 2026
Beijing: In the presence of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) signed 23 agreements, cooperation memorandums, memorandums of understanding (MoUs), and strategic investment partnerships with Chinese institutions and companies valued at several billion US dollars.
The agreements encompass establishing joint funds, expanding investment cooperation, and attracting industrial and technological projects to the Sultanate of Oman. The signings took place during the Oman-China Investment Partnership Horizons Forum, organized by the Authority today at the headquarters of the Bank of China, coinciding with His Majesty’s state visit to the People's Republic of China.
The signed agreements between the Oman Investment Authority, alongside a number of Omani companies and institutions and their Chinese partners, span several promising sectors. These include renewable energy and related industries, mining, logistics, digital transformation, and space technology, in addition to banking cooperation, trade and project financing, direct investment, and asset management. This supports the Authority’s approach to building long-term partnerships that combine economic viability with maximizing added value for the national economy.
Furthermore, the agreements embody the Authority’s role in executing economic diplomacy by leveraging its international partnerships to expand investment cooperation horizons, strengthen the Sultanate of Oman's presence in global markets, and align international opportunities with national economic priorities. They also serve to attract capital and technology to Oman, localize industrial activities and specialized services, transfer knowledge, build national capabilities, expand cooperation opportunities between Omani companies and their Chinese counterparts, and link local projects with global production and distribution networks and foreign markets.
Abdulsalam bin Mohammed Al Murshidi, President of the Oman Investment Authority, stated that the state visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to the People's Republic of China marks a significant step for economic partnership between the two countries. It opens broader opportunities for the Oman Investment Authority and its subsidiaries to translate bilateral relations into investments and projects that serve the mutual interests of both nations. He emphasized that the Authority ensured the agreements signed at the forum reflect diverse areas of cooperation, with a major focus on attracting investments and localizing industries and technologies in the Sultanate of Oman.
He added that the Authority views its international partnerships as a pathway to developing assets, generating sustainable returns, and expanding opportunities for the national economy. Through these partnerships, the Authority maximizes the benefits of the "Omani dimension" by allocating investments to the local market and making knowledge and technologies accessible to Omani talent and companies, while maintaining commitment to economic viability and agreed investment frameworks. He stressed that cooperation with Chinese institutions aligns with the Authority’s strategy to diversify its international partnerships and distribute its investments geographically and sectorally, capitalizing on opportunities available in priority markets.
He noted that the investment forum provided a platform to present Omani opportunities directly to investors, build communication between relevant entities and potential partners, and advance cooperation opportunities into actionable projects.
The Royal visit, being the first by an Omani Sultan to China, imparts new momentum to relations between the two countries and opens broader horizons for developing their economic and investment partnership, building on historical ties and growing cooperation across multiple sectors.
In this context, the Oman-China Investment Partnership Horizons Forum served as a platform to foster direct communication between investment and financial institutions and companies from both sides, featuring representatives from government entities, sovereign wealth funds, investment institutions, and companies across various economic sectors.
The forum highlighted promising investment opportunities in the Sultanate of Oman, showcasing its competitive advantages and strategic location as a gateway to regional and global markets, alongside exploring areas of joint cooperation, exchanging expertise, and developing strategic partnerships that contribute to attracting investments and technologies, expanding the presence of Chinese companies in the Omani market, and creating new avenues for Omani companies to benefit from opportunities in the Chinese market.
At the forefront of these partnerships, the Oman Investment Authority signed a preliminary term sheet with China’s Silk Road Fund to establish a joint fund valued at RO 307.6 million (USD 800 million). The majority of the fund will be invested in the Sultanate of Oman, with the remainder directed toward China and emerging markets. The fund facilitates expanding joint investment across multiple sectors while according the Omani market a major share of its investments, thereby supporting the attraction of projects and capital to the national economy.
The Authority also signed a preliminary term sheet with China Merchants Bank to establish a second investment fund valued at RO 115.35 million (USD 300 million) with equal funding from both parties. This step comes as an extension of the successful partnership initiated with the establishment of the first fund in 2019 of equal value to invest in China's tech sector, reinforcing ongoing cooperation between both sides and expanding its investment opportunities.
Cooperation with the China Investment Corporation included the signing of an MoU establishing a framework for exchanging, studying, and jointly executing investment opportunities in the Sultanate of Oman and the People's Republic of China. This collaboration provides a pathway to expand partnerships with international investment institutions and access opportunities across multiple markets by drawing on the expertise and relational networks of both parties.
In energy and related industries, the Authority signed a preliminary term sheet with BCG and Hoi Mills for a partnership valued at RO 38.45 million (USD 100 million) aimed at developing solar energy projects in Oman and establishing a solar transformer manufacturing plant to serve the business sector in the Middle East and North Africa. The proposed partnership combines energy project development with the localization of an industrial component, expanding domestic production and regional export opportunities.
The Authority additionally signed two MoUs with Bank of China and China International Capital Corporation Limited to strengthen relations and cooperation in investment and localization of investments in Oman. It also signed an MoU with China International Marine Containers to expand its presence in Oman and leverage its expertise in transport solutions, logistics services, and global networks.
Cooperation agreements extended to partners operating in fund management and corporate investment, including IDG Capital, which established a fund valued at RO 76.9 million (USD 200 million) with the Authority in Oman with equal co-funding, aimed at connecting Chinese companies to investment opportunities in the Omani market across various sectors, providing a channel to attract companies and facilitate the expansion of their operations in the Sultanate.
Cooperation also included Templewater, which established a fund with the Authority valued at RO 76.9 million (USD 200 million) in Oman with equal co-funding, as part of an overall partnership totaling RO 99.97 million (USD 260 million). The partnership targets exploring opportunities in energy companies, particularly clean energy, alongside investing RO 23.07 million (USD 60 million) in Oman through the Templewater Innovation Fund, in which the Authority invested in collaboration with the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission, focusing on the technology sector in China and Hong Kong.
The agreements further encompassed cooperation with eWTP Arabia Capital (eWTPA), which established a fund with the Authority valued at RO 96.12 million (USD 250 million) in Oman, alongside allocating a portion of its regional fund for investment in Oman, bringing the total partnership volume to approximately RO 105.74 million (USD 275 million). The collaboration aims to attract Chinese investments and facilitate their localization in digital technology, smart manufacturing, and energy, including renewable energy, utilities, and associated technical solutions. The package also included a cooperation agreement with HongShan, formerly known as Sequoia Capital China, specializing in venture capital and direct investment in the tech sector.
In digital transformation, the package included two MoUs bringing together the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and the Omani Telecommunications Company (Omantel) with WPS and Huawei. The first pertains to cooperation in the government digital transformation program, while the second addresses the installation of Ascend Neural Processing Units (NPUs)—specialized electronic chips and high-performance computing accelerators—supporting the development of technical capabilities and essential infrastructure for advanced applications, according to the agreed scope of cooperation and implementation requirements.
In space technology, partnerships included two cooperation agreements between Oman Lens, a leader in satellite technology and artificial intelligence, and Star Vision Aerospace. The first includes a five-year joint program to send 30 Omanis on scholarships to pursue Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in China, train 1,000 Omani specialists, and establish a joint space AI laboratory to facilitate knowledge transfer, technology localization, and national capability building.
The second agreement, pertaining to the Space Silk Road program, covers cooperation to develop, launch, and operate satellites across two phases. The first phase comprises seven satellites, based on the success of which a second phase comprising an additional satellite constellation will be evaluated, alongside establishing a satellite assembly, integration, and testing center in the Sultanate of Oman, technology transfer, training Omani talent, and gradually developing local manufacturing.
In logistics services, the package included a cooperation agreement between Asyad Group and JD.com to develop warehousing and logistics solutions and facilities in Oman, starting with the establishment of three distribution warehouses in the Muscat International Airport Free Zone, Khazaen Economic City, and Sohar Free Zone. Cooperation involves developing inter-network connectivity between both parties to serve markets in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and East Africa, alongside exploring digital solutions, automation, and technical applications that enhance operational and supply chain efficiency.
In the mining sector, the package featured an integrated mining services contract between Minerals Development Oman (MDO) and Hongda International for the Mazoon Copper and Gold Project in the Wilayat of Yanqul, valued at RO 161 million (USD 418.7 million) over a ten-year duration. The contract covers open-pit mining operations, from drilling, loading, and hauling to ore supply, rock waste and dry tailings transport, road construction, quality control drilling, and providing necessary housing and facilities for operations.
In energy storage, the package included a framework agreement between Nama Holding and State Grid International Development Limited to cooperate on evaluating and developing two battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a capacity of 500 MW each at the Duqm Industrial and Al Subeikhi (Ibri Solar 3) 400 kV substations, linking them to the national electricity grid.
On the banking services front, the package included an MoU signed by Sohar International with Shanghai Pudong Development Bank for co-financing and debt capital markets, subject to specific transaction approvals and independent agreements.
In asset and wealth management, the package included an agreement under which Sohar International will distribute investment funds managed by E Fund Management (Hong Kong) Co., Limited in the Sultanate of Oman, expanding product offerings to its clients and providing investment opportunities in Chinese and international markets. It also featured an MoU with Bank of China (Hong Kong) Asset Management Limited to market its investment products, including gold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), to qualified investors, alongside cooperation in managing funds and portfolios for institutional investors within approved licensing scopes.
These agreements, which build upon an existing investment presence of the Oman Investment Authority in the Chinese market, impart fresh momentum to relations between the two countries. They open broader prospects for expanding their economic and investment partnership by translating bilateral rapport into investment opportunities and projects that support national economic diversification and broaden cooperation areas with Chinese institutions to bolster priority sectors.
