The UAE joins the celebrations of its National Day, which falls on November 18 each year, in a scene that reflects the long-standing fraternal relations between the two countries, which have witnessed rapid growth in all political, economic, social and cultural fields during the past five decades under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa. Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Sultan of Oman.
His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, sent a cable of congratulations to his brother Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Sultan of Oman, on the occasion of the 49th National Day.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, have sent similar congratulatory messages to Sultan Qaboos bin Saeed.
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman, and His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah, and His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Rashid Mualla, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, congratulated telegrams to Sultan Qaboos bin Said, on this occasion.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on his Twitter page, congratulated the brotherly people of Oman, praising the march of construction and glorified achievements.
His Highness said: "We congratulate our people in the Sultanate on the 49th National Day of Oman for peace, love, civilization and history. A march of glories and blessed achievements, under its leader and builder Sultan Qaboos. We wish Oman continued progress and prosperity."
The UAE's airports receive Omani visitors to the UAE with souvenirs, Omani flags, roses and sweets. The most prominent urban landmarks in the UAE are illuminated with the flag of the Sultanate of Oman, while the tourism and cultural authorities and organizations in the country organize programs abound with various offers and events to celebrate this occasion.
The UAE-Omani relations draw strength from their deep-rooted historical roots, and the keenness of the leaderships of the two countries to push them towards further development and progress, and to exploit the available opportunities in this regard, to meet the aspirations of the two brotherly peoples.
The first meeting between the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his brother Sultan Qaboos bin Said dates back to 1968.
The historic visit of Sheikh Zayed to the Sultanate of Oman in 1991 marked an important turning point in the march of cooperation between the two countries, which led to the formation of a joint committee between the two countries, the most notable achievement of which was the decision to move the citizens of the two countries using identity cards instead of passports.
Under the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the relations between the two countries have become more solid and firm. This relationship is an example of the strong ties inherent in the two countries' common history.
The two countries have social and cultural ties that are rooted in the depth of history and continue the momentum of these relations after the establishment of the UAE in 1971, in the fields of cultural, educational, economic, tourism and others.
The two countries share a common cultural heritage of art and literature that has formed a homogeneous cultural identity for their peoples and for all the peoples of the Arabian Gulf region. .
The growing growth in the volume of trade and investment exchanges reflects the state of understanding and interdependence between the two countries.The volume of non-oil trade exchange between the two countries recorded about 45 billion dirhams at the end of 2018, while the Sultanate is the second most important partner in the non-oil foreign trade of the UAE at the level of countries. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which accounts for 20% of the country's total non-oil trade with the GCC.
The average growth in the volume of non-oil foreign trade between the two countries over the past five years is estimated at about 10%, and the two countries have opportunities for partnerships in a number of key sectors that will serve their development goals, most notably the development and diversification of trade exchange, and work to promote joint investments In the sectors of infrastructure, transport and logistics to promote trade routes, as well as study cooperation in tourism.
The number of UAE-Omani-UAE joint companies operating in the Sultanate, as of January 2019, about 2,800 companies, the investments of these companies are concentrated in manufacturing industries, energy, water, financial activities, construction, real estate and trade, while there are about 320 brands and 22 Omani commercial agencies registered in the UAE until End of 2018.
Export Tourism
The UAE is one of the most important export markets for tourism to the Sultanate, due to the rapid access through distinct air networks, as well as the rapid overland travel to Oman from the UAE cities through several border ports, which witness millions of visitors coming in both directions.
Weekly flights
Tourism between the UAE and Oman has continued to grow over the past years, driven by the traffic between them.
The number of weekly flights to the Sultanate last year between 132 and 137 flights from the «Etihad Airways», «Emirates», «Air Arabia» and «Fly Dubai».