ISLAMABAD: Oman’s foreign minister is due to arrive in Pakistan for a two-day visit today, Tuesday, amid mounting regional concerns over the Strait of Hormuz blockade and intensified Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on civilian infrastructure that have killed and injured Pakistani nationals.

The visit comes as Pakistan seeks to help ease the Middle East conflict through diplomatic efforts while facing growing economic and security concerns over disruptions to Gulf energy supplies and attacks on Saudi Arabia, a key regional ally.

Oman, which shares control of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz with Iran through their respective territorial waters, has traditionally played a mediating role in regional disputes, including between Tehran and Washington.

Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi is scheduled to visit Pakistan on Oct. 13-14 at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement issued on Monday evening.

“During the visit, the 8th Session of the Pakistan-Oman Joint Ministerial Commission would be held in Islamabad,” the ministry said.

“The Session would be co-chaired by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries. The meeting would serve as an important platform to review the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Oman bilateral relations and to further strengthen cooperation in diverse fields.”

The ministry’s statement did not mention the Middle East hostilities, and there was no indication that these issues were formally on the agenda. However, the escalating regional crisis is of concern to both countries, given their economic and security interests in the Gulf.

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Arabian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, is one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes. Disruptions to traffic through the waterway have affected global oil supplies and pushed up energy costs, particularly for import-dependent economies such as Pakistan.

The visit also follows a series of attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia against Saudi airports and other civilian facilities, raising concerns over the widening regional impact of the US-Iran conflict.

A Pakistani national was killed and 11 other people were injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye condemned the attacks in a joint statement on Sunday, demanding their immediate cessation and reaffirming support for Riyadh’s efforts to protect its security and territorial integrity.

Pakistan has also sought to promote diplomatic engagement to contain the wider conflict, while reaffirming its security commitments to Saudi Arabia under bilateral and trilateral defense arrangements.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Albusaidi is also expected to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his stay in Islamabad.

Pakistan and Oman maintain longstanding diplomatic, economic and people-to-people ties, including cooperation in trade and employment, with Oman hosting a sizable Pakistani expatriate community.