On the second day of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik’s state visit, the UK and Oman announced a package of agreements spanning investment, education and technology worth more than £1 billion. For the global-mobility community the headline is the restoration of the Chevening Scholarship programme in Oman, suspended since 2020. Applications will open in August 2027, providing funded study in the UK for future Omani leaders and widening talent pipelines for British universities and employers. The joint communiqué also outlines cooperation on AI in education, including teacher-training exchanges and safe-use frameworks—areas likely to generate short-term secondments for EdTech specialists. UK Export Finance will raise its guarantee ceiling for Oman to £7 billion, potentially unlocking engineering and project-management assignments as Omani infrastructure spending accelerates. Business visas did not feature explicitly, but officials signalled that smoother entry procedures for project personnel will be discussed under the existing Joint Working Group on Visas and Consular Cooperation. With bilateral trade at £1.1 billion in the year to Q1 2026—and critical-minerals deals on the table—the demand for employee mobility in both directions is set to rise. Companies active in the Gulf should track follow-up announcements: Omani data-centre projects may qualify for UK Export Finance support, while the new maritime-security MoU could require seconded UK staff in Salalah and Duqm ports. Early engagement with in-house immigration counsel will be essential once any new visa facilitations emerge.
Source: GOV.UK – FCDO press release
