Sultan Haitham was in Paris on Monday for the first official visit to France by an Omani leader since 1989 in a bid to tighten relations and discuss the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.
Paris is shifting its interest towards Oman despite historically having stronger relations with larger economies in the Gulf, such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The two countries have agreed to work together to secure maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz as part of broader efforts to reduce tensions in the Middle East, French President Emmanuel Macron said.
The French president said the two countries had signed "historic agreements" covering the economic, scientific, cultural and industrial sectors.
“We have decided to collaborate jointly, in co-ordination with our partners, on demining the strait to secure maritime routes and ensure free and unconditional passage through the Strait of Hormuz," Mr Macron said on X.
Speaking to Sultan Haitham at a business forum in Paris after their meeting at the Elysee Palace, Mr Macron said he had been impressed by Oman's diplomatic mediation efforts in recent years, which have involved crises in Iran and Yemen.
“Your presence today in this well known international context makes everybody here even more eager to co-operate and to develop additional relationships,” Mr Macron said. “I’ve been very impressed by your wise strategy in the past years, especially the past months, and we really believe that stabilisation of your region is one of the critical issues.”
The French president was wearing aviator sunglasses indoors similar to those he wore in Davos due to an eye injury.
Channel charge
Oman is currently navigating a tightrope in the Strait of Hormuz crisis after appearing at odds with Iran over approved routes for ships through the narrow passageway. Traffic volume in the strait has increased but remains below prewar levels. About a fifth of the world's oil transits the strait.
The Sultanate will jointly manage a committee with Iran to oversee the strait, with the first meeting to be held on Monday, an Iranian deputy minister said. But a cargo ship travelling through the strait on a UN-approved route along the coast of Oman was hit by a projectile last week, raising questions over co-ordination between Iran and Oman.
Oman remains committed to keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, safe and free for international navigation and does not support imposing transit fees on ships using the strategic waterway, Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said in an interview with Radio Monte Carlo.
Europe and the US strongly object to any mandatory payment, and the French President is understood to be seeking clarity on how the fees will affect ships transiting the channel.
Mr Macron's office said ahead of the Sultan's visit that “talks will serve to reaffirm the importance of supporting regional de-escalation and will address the security of maritime routes, which relies on free and unhindered passage through the Strait of Hormuz”.
As he nears the end of his second and final presidential mandate, Mr Macron has thrown his weight behind helping solve world crises, particularly in the Middle East. His US counterpart, Donald Trump, took the world by surprise when he signed an agreement with Iran this month after a lavish dinner in Versailles hosted by the French President on the heels of a G7 meeting in France.
In Paris, a string of deals were signed at the Elysee Palace and at the business forum, including an $8 million contract for French defence company Thales to sell two radars to Oman's civil aviation authority.
Marseille-based shipping giant CMA CGM signed a deal with Oman's investment authority worth $500 million. CMA CGM will help structure new logistics corridors in Oman and will manage a port terminal in Sohar.
The French start-up Latitude, specialising in micro-launchers for small satellites, is in advanced negotiations with the Omani platform Etlaq Spaceport to launch up to 50 satellites annually over the coming years. The two companies are set to sign a letter of intent at the business forum.
Additionally, French water company Suez will sign a $2.25 billion deal to manage Muscat's water networks, and EDF Power Solution will sign a $4 billion contract to develop the first pumped-storage power plant at the Wadi Daysat dam, designed to store up to 2 gigawatts of energy.
