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The historic visit of His Highness the Amir to the Sultanate of Oman embodied the meanings of brotherhood and aspiration towards the future

08-02-2024

The brotherly Sultanate of Oman received His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may Allah protect and preserve him, on a state visit, the second after His Highness assumed the helm of the emirate after the Brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which culminated in the opening of the Duqm refinery and petrochemical industries. The visit was marked by an official and popular celebration, embodied in the reception of the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, who awarded His Highness the Al Said Medal, which is considered one of the highest Omani decorations, in appreciation and pride of the deep bonds of brotherhood and strong friendship that unite the two brotherly countries and peoples. His Highness Prince Sultan Haitham bin Tariq was also awarded the “Mubarak Al-Kabeer Necklace” in appreciation of His Majesty and the distinguished achievements and efforts he has made for the Sultanate of Oman and its brotherly people, and in appreciation of his role in strengthening the bonds of brotherhood and understanding between the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and in consolidating and seeking to strengthen the ties of brotherhood between the two countries and the two brotherly peoples. His Highness the Emir of the country expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation for the warm reception and generous hospitality received by him and the accompanying delegation, which "consolidated the historical relations between our two brotherly countries and peoples whose roots extend back many decades." In a telegram to his brother, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, at the conclusion of his visit, His Highness praised the high position held by the brotherly country and its pivotal and important role at the regional and international levels, stressing his keenness to consolidate the relations that bring together the two countries and the two brotherly peoples. He also expressed his deep thanks and great gratitude by awarding him the Al Said Medal, stressing his great pride in this generous fraternal gesture, “which has a very good impact on the soul because it embodies the meanings of the closest brotherhood that unites us.” His Highness added, "We confirm our happiness with Your Majesty's participation in the opening ceremony of the Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Project, which embodies the great development in the economic partnership between the State of Kuwait and the Brotherly Sultanate of Oman. We hope that this vital and important project will achieve the common benefits of our two brotherly countries and strengthen the tributaries of the Kuwaiti and Omani economies." His Highness, may Allah protect him, and the accompanying official delegation arrived in the Sultanate of Oman yesterday, Tuesday, on a state visit. Then, he and his brother, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, kindly sponsored and attended the opening ceremony of (Duqm Refinery) in the Wilayat of Duqm today, Wednesday, before concluding the visit and His Highness’s return to the country later in the day. The Duqm Refinery is a joint project between the International Integrated Energy Group (OQ) and the Kuwait Petroleum International Company, based in the Duqm region, south of Oman, to serve global markets. The refinery is committed, in accordance with its established business strategy, to achieving excellence in the oil refining sector and supplying high-quality oil products. An official discussion session was held yesterday, chaired by the leaders of the two countries, which reviewed the process of close and solid fraternal relations that bind the two countries and various aspects of existing bilateral cooperation in a way that supports and strengthens the established fraternal relations and achieves more of their common aspirations towards prosperity, development and prosperity. The discussions also addressed the pursuit of further partnership to expand frameworks of action to support and enhance the progress of the brothers in the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the most prominent issues of common interest. The talks witnessed the discussion of a number of matters in light of the latest events and developments taking place on the regional and international arenas, and a friendly atmosphere prevailed that reflects the spirit of brotherhood and the common desire for more cooperation and coordination at all levels. This visit received great attention from Omani newspapers, which highlighted it, considering that it constitutes a new phase in deep-rooted and historical relations. These newspapers also considered that it lays the foundation for the launch of a new phase of established and growing relations between the two brotherly countries, which is considered a regional and international model to be emulated and strengthened by many commonalities, including the diplomatic approach followed, based on wisdom, good neighborliness, and respect for the sovereignty of countries, in addition to the two countries’ aspiration to achieve greater prosperity and development. And prosperity for the two brotherly peoples. He pointed to the historical and social legacy that created an unconventional character in official and popular relations and the keenness of the two political leaderships to develop and develop them in various fields. He pointed out that the official discussions reviewed the process of close and solid fraternal relations and the strengthening of various aspects of bilateral cooperation in order to achieve more aspirations towards prosperity and well-being, describing the “Duqm Refinery” as the largest investment of its kind between two Gulf countries. In this context, Omani Minister of Energy and Minerals Salem Al-Awfi considered that the refinery is one of the largest joint investments of its kind in the Gulf and that it is an ideal model for the convergence of common economic interests. Al-Awfi said in a press statement that the project constitutes “great economic importance for the Omani and Kuwaiti economies,” explaining that the refinery refines oil, processes it, and transforms it into high-quality products using the latest technologies, taking into account safety, health, and the environment, as the rate of reduction in greenhouse gas emissions has reached 41 percent since the start of operation. He stated that the most prominent products of the refinery, which operates with a refining capacity of up to 230,000 barrels, are diesel, liquefied petroleum gas, naphtha, jet fuel, petroleum coal, and sulfur, all of which represent “products with high demand in the global market.” The CEO of the Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Company, David Baird, confirmed to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) yesterday that the opening of the refinery would bring about a milestone and radical changes in the global energy sector. Bird considered that this project is the best evidence of the strategic vision and effectiveness of cooperation and joint work between the two countries, stressing the importance of the refinery and its distinctive role in providing unlimited opportunities that enhance its position as a beacon of economic and social progress and an example that inspires others in the energy sector. He explained that the refinery is one of the newest and largest refineries in the Middle East and North Africa and one of the major contributors to the national economy of both Kuwait and Oman, indicating that it has become an active part in the global energy market. For her part, the CEO of Human Resources, Technology and Work Culture at the refinery, Nasiha Al-Falahiya, said in a similar statement that the refinery trained and developed Omani and Kuwaiti national cadres to be able to deal with the latest technology used in the refinery. Al-Falahiya stated that Kuwaiti and Omani cadres represent 60 percent of the workforce in the refinery, expressing hope that this percentage will increase in the future to reach 80 percent. The opening witnessed the showing of a film about the project, which is the largest investment project in the refineries and petrochemicals sector, highlighting the vital role of the Kuwaiti-Omani partnership in the refinery’s journey towards prosperity. The head of the Omani Investment Authority, Abdul Salam Al-Murshidi, delivered a speech during the opening in which he stressed the importance of this project, which embodies the deep-rooted relations between the two countries since ancient times. Al-Murshidi said that the efforts of both sides have joined forces to work on the refinery project at a cost exceeding 3.5 billion Omani riyals (equivalent to nine billion US dollars). He stated that the refinery is the first Gulf refinery to rely on imported crude oil in its operations and is expected to contribute to raising the total refining capacity of the Sultanate of Oman to 500 thousand barrels per day, an increase of 230 thousand barrels per day. The CEO of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Sheikh Nawaf Saud Al-Sabah, also delivered a speech in which he expressed his pride in representing the corporation and its companies - the Kuwaiti partner in the Duqm Refinery - “to witness the commercial operation of the largest joint Gulf project.” He stressed that this achievement indicates the historical brotherhood between the two countries, saying, "Our story with you did not begin with Duqm, but rather goes back to diving ships when our ancestors sailed in search of a decent life, so Allah rewarded them with His blessings after decades of struggle as they clawed mountains, cultivated deserts, and built homelands." He added that today, after reaching full commercial operation, the refinery will discharge Kuwaiti crude oil and Omani oil and refine it, achieving the strategic objectives of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, which stipulates entering into investment opportunities with global partners “to develop our refining capacity in promising markets” with the aim of reaching a refining capacity of 425. One thousand barrels of oil per day by 2025, and with the cooperation of “our brothers in the Sultanate, we achieved this goal ahead of schedule.” The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Oil, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Imad Al-Ateeqi, confirmed in a statement on the occasion that this achievement reflects the pioneering role played by the Arabian Gulf region in leading the global oil and gas industry. Al-Ateeqi added that the project is a “success story” between the State of Kuwait and the Sultanate of Oman, expressing his thanks and appreciation to all the project workers for their efforts over the past years towards achieving this vital project. In turn, the CEO of the Kuwait Petroleum International Company, Shafi Al-Ajmi, stressed that the establishment of the refinery constitutes an “important historical turning point” that contributes to consolidating the growing economic relations between the two brotherly countries, expressing pride in what was achieved through the “model partnership” between the two countries and looking forward to more cooperation and bilateral success. Regarding the importance of the refinery’s geographical location, he said that it works to facilitate the flow of trade between the Arab Gulf region and the Asian and African markets, describing the investment experience in the Duqm Refinery in partnership with the International Integrated Energy Group (OQ) as “pioneering.” He considered that the refinery is a "huge industrial edifice" that is considered the most modern in the Middle East region, as the construction cost amounted to about nine billion US dollars, and it is owned equally by Kuwait and Oman. Regarding the refinery’s refining capacity, Al-Ajmi explained that it refines 230,000 barrels per day of Kuwaiti and Omani crude oil, with 65 percent of the Kuwaiti crude oil supplied to the refinery in coordination with the global marketing sector at the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and 35 percent of the Omani crude oil. For his part, Executive Vice President of Manufacturing at Kuwait Petroleum International Company, Imad Al-Hadlaq, said that the technology used in the refinery is considered the latest in the world, indicating that the refinery’s products are of high quality and comply with international environmental specifications and standards. Al-Hadlaq added that the refinery produces environmentally friendly petroleum derivatives, including liquefied petroleum gas and naphtha, which are used as feedstock in petrochemical projects, kerosene - jet fuel, and diesel. Regarding the date of operating the refinery, Al-Hadlaq said that work began gradually at the Duqm refinery since last March, noting that the number of exported shipments has reached 73 shipments so far, “most of which went to the Asian and African markets, and diesel represents 60 percent of the total of these shipments.”