Chamber of commerce signs MoU with Oman

Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business, Chris Cardona has said he believes that great potential exists in exploring the many avenues of co-operation in different sectors of the economies of Malta and Oman.

The announcement was made during a ministerial visit to Oman in which the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding, intended to promote business collaborations between the two countries.

“There is political commitment and willingness on both sides to enhance co-operation between the two countries, making it easier to achieve the set objectives. Malta and Oman can take advantage of the strategic geographical position they both occupy in their respective regions” Minister Cardona said.

The MoU was signed by Tonio Casapinta, Vice President of the Malta Chamber and Said bin Saleh al Kiyoumi, Chairman of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), during the visit of a Ministerial delegation to the Sultanate of Oman, led by Cardona.

The visit to the Sultanate of Oman was organised by Malta Enterprise in close collaboration with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and was accompanied by a business delegation. During presentations held at OCCI, Casapinta said that the Malta Chamber strived to promote collaboration on an international level, to create visibility for Malta in the region and through its Middle East Business Council has created mechanisms which supported business collaboration and investment.

He said that the MoU signed between the Malta Chamber and the OCCI was a perfect example of the Malta Chamber’s drive to promote such efforts in favour of Malta’s internationalization efforts.

The Maltese delegation conducted discussions with Omani government ministries, agencies and leading corporate organisations which showcased potential avenues for joint collaboration between the two countries.

Discussions on potential areas of cooperation included major maritime and logistics projects, Aquaculture, Education and Financial services. During the visit to Bank Muscat the leading financial services provider in Oman, another MoU was signed for the setting up a Business Forum for SMEs.

Signatories to the agreement were Marika Tonna, Chief Operating Officer of Malta Enterprise, and Ilham Al Hamiad, AGM – SME Credit, Marketing & Regional Corporates of Bank Muscat.