Pakistan, Oman commerce bodies agree to hold single-country exhibition to boost trade ties

Pakistan, Oman commerce bodies gesture for a group photograph following a meeting at the Pakistan House in Muscat on September 2, 2025. (Handout/FPCCI)
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Updated 03 September 2025
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Pakistan, Oman commerce bodies agree to hold single-country exhibition to boost trade ties

  • Pakistan’s prominent chamber of commerce meets Omani counterpart in Muscat
  • Pakistan has recently sought closer trade and investment relations with Gulf nations

ISLAMABAD: The commerce bodies of Pakistan and Oman have agreed to jointly organize a single-country exhibition to boost trade ties, the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) said on Wednesday.

Pakistan has been eyeing enhanced economic relations with Gulf nations in its bid to attract foreign investment in key sectors. With Oman seen as a key regional player, Islamabad’s focus on expanding trade ties underscores its intentions to access new markets and build long-term economic partnerships.

The development came during a meeting between the FPCCI and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) officials at the Pakistan Business Forum in Muscat, which also included members of the Pakistani community.

“In a landmark development, FPCCI and OCCI have agreed to jointly organize Pakistan – Oman Single Country exhibition to further cement trade, economic and investment relations between the two countries,” the FPCCI said in a statement.

During the meeting and a networking lunch, participants discussed new trade and investment opportunities, stressing the need to activate the Pakistan–Oman Joint Business Council.

“The evening provided a warm atmosphere for networking, strengthening business ties and celebration of the brotherly relations between Pakistan and Oman.” FPCCI added.

Pakistan and Oman maintain steady trade relations, focused on oil, gas, textiles, food products, and fisheries. Oman is a key supplier of energy to Pakistan, while Pakistan exports rice, textiles and agricultural goods.

Both sides have long sought to expand investment and connectivity recently, especially via the ports in Pakistan’s Gwadar and Oman. Islamabad also invited Oman in August 2024 to invest in its agriculture and mineral sectors.


Pakistan says Sri Lanka to ease visa restrictions after Colombo talks

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Pakistan says Sri Lanka to ease visa restrictions after Colombo talks

  • Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi meets Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo
  • Naqvi informs Sri Lankan president about visa-related difficulties being faced by Pakistani nationals

KARACHI: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has assured Islamabad that the island nation will ease visa restrictions for Pakistani citizens, the Pakistani interior ministry said on Tuesday.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), met Dissanayake during a visit to the country on Tuesday. The Pakistani minister arrived in Sri Lanka last week to watch the T20 World Cup cricket clash between India and Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday. 

Naqvi informed the Sri Lankan president about visa-related difficulties being faced by Pakistani nationals during the meeting, the interior ministry said in a statement. 

“The Sri Lankan president took immediate notice and directed that Pakistan be removed from all such lists without delay,” it said. 

Both sides held detailed discussions on counterterrorism, counternarcotics and joint training between their security forces, the statement added. 

Naqvi thanked Dissanayake for the arrangements the government had taken to accommodate Pakistan’s matches in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan president reaffirmed his commitment to strengthen ties with Pakistan further. 

Dissanayake also conveyed a message of thanks for Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for allowing the national men’s cricket team to play its cricket match against India. 

Pakistan’s government earlier this month announced it would not allow the cricket team to play against India to express solidarity with Bangladesh. The International Cricket Council (ICC) last month replaced Bangladesh with Scotland after the former said it would not play its matches in India owing to security concerns. The move drew sharp protests from the cricket boards of Pakistan and Bangladesh. 

Pakistan withdrew its decision and cleared the national team to play against India following negotiations with the ICC. Dissanayake had also spoken to Sharif and requested Pakistan to call off its boycott against India. 

Pakistan and Sri Lanka share long-standing ties with cooperation across various sectors. In December last year, Pakistan provided assistance to Sri Lanka in the form of relief aid and rescue workers following disastrous floods across the tropical island nation.