The two-day OMNEX 2026 Oman–Türkiye Business Forum and International Trade Expo began on Monday in Muscat, the capital of Oman.
The opening ceremony was attended by Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov, Omani royal Faisal bin Turki bin Mahmoud Al Said, Turkish Deputy Trade Minister Sezai Ucarmak and Bilal Erdogan, chair of the trustees’ board at the Turkish nongovernmental organisation (NGO) Ilim Yayma Vakfi, News.Az reports, citing Turkish media.
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Minnikhanov said such events play a key role in strengthening international and interregional ties while helping identify new opportunities in a rapidly changing world.
He said Tatarstan has a strong investment and innovation ecosystem, supported by special economic zones, technoparks, industrial parks and business incubators.
He added Tatarstan offers tax, customs and commercial incentives to investors, with the oil and gas sector forming the backbone of its economy.
“We developed our oil refining and petrochemical capabilities, and we produce automobiles, aircraft, helicopters, ships, and other mechanical engineering products,” he said. “We also made significant progress in digitalisation, Islamic banking, and finance.”
Ucarmak said the Turkish Trade Ministry supports such events and that Türkiye has become one of the countries capable of producing goods at internationally accepted quality standards.
He said that while Oman is geographically close to Türkiye, land transportation challenges linked to neighbouring countries remain an issue.
“I think the complete resolution of Syria’s problems will remove this obstacle,” he said. “Looking at our trade volume, our trade rose around 60 times since 2003, totaling around $1.4 billion, but we have to admit that this does not reflect the capacity and the potential of the two countries.”
Ucarmak said more than 100,000 Omani tourists visit Türkiye annually, with some purchasing homes, adding that growth in tourism would have a positive impact on bilateral trade.
“The opening of the Alican Customs Gate on the Armenian border this month will contribute to Türkiye in the east and the south — we have a Joint Economic Commission (JEC) mechanism operating between Türkiye and Oman, and we have mutual meetings and an action plan every year,” he added.
