Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Sultan of Oman, on Wednesday, December 3, participated for the first time since assuming power in 2020 in person in the GCC Summit held in Manama, Bahrain. This marks a historic return of Oman’s highest-level leadership to the Gulf decision-making table, following the last personal attendance of the late Sultan Qaboos at the Riyadh Summit in 2011.
After 2011, Oman was represented at all GCC summits by Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said. Now, after 14 years, the direct participation of the Sultan of Oman is interpreted as a clear message of Muscat’s more active role in the political, security, and economic equations of the region.
The summit focused on regional security, geopolitical developments, economic cooperation, and foreign relations. On the sidelines, Sultan Haitham also took part in the joint GCC–Italy meeting, attended by the Prime Minister of Italy.
During the summit, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain hosted an official luncheon in honor of the Sultan of Oman, the GCC leaders, and the Prime Minister of Italy at Al-Sakhir Palace. The reception was seen as a symbol of the high level of political and diplomatic relations among the participating countries.
This participation is widely viewed as a clear sign of the rising weight of Oman’s active diplomacy in the new phase of Gulf developments and the Sultan’s direct return to the GCC’s core decision-making circle.
Sources:
His Majesty the Sultan Participates in the GCC Summit
The King of Bahrain Hosts an Official Luncheon
A Historical Detail You May Not Know: For the First Time Since the Late Sultan’s Last Participation in 2011, Sultan Haitham Attends the GCC Leaders’ Summit
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