Ambassador of Japan George Hisaeda hosted a lunch at his residence in honour of the 14 Oman-Japan Student Forum members who recently visited Japan. The trip took place further to a joint communique issued during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Oman in January, which stressed the importance of cultural exchange and interaction between the youth of Japan and Oman.

The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) had not fully recovered from last November's disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Oman when it was hit by a deeper rift involving Qatar. 

Saudi Arabia’s proposal to move the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) toward unity received a blow during the IISS Manama Dialogue Forum, held Dec. 7 ahead of the council meeting in Kuwait, where ministers plan to discuss the issue.

The aim of the visit was to share ADEC’s knowledge and expertise related to development of education, student assessment strategies, means of strengthening mutual cooperation, exam development, printing, marking and reports, professional development programmes and means of motivating qualified teachers.

Speaking to FNA, Iran's Ambassador to Oman Ali Akbar Sibouyeh said Iran has always sought strengthening of stability and tranquility in the region in line with its "policy of confidence-building and détente".

While the relations between the Philippines and Oman are very strong, Joselito A. Jimeno, the Philippines Ambassador to the Sultanate, wants to take the ties to a higher pedestal during his term. "It's time for Oman to look into the investment opportunities in the Philippines and joint ventures with Filipino companies. Among the Asian countries, Manila is the best bet investment-wise," said the ambassador, while pointing towards the strong growth cited in 'The Wealth Report 2012' (Knight Frank and Citi Private Bank).

The Royal Opera House Muscat has completed a successful inaugural year, featuring top operas and concerts and local Omani cultural events as well. The one-year old Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM), continues to wow audiences with an impressive line-up of performances.