ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Wednesday met with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq as part of a two-day visit by the Iraqi premier to Oman, in addition to overseeing the signing of agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Baghdad and Muscat.

Sudani arrived in Oman on Wednesday afternoon, where he was received by the Omani Deputy Prime Minister Shihab bin Tariq, ahead of meeting with the Sultan. In a presser before departing Baghdad, the Iraqi premier said that his country is set to partner with Muscat across several sectors.

Sudani and the Omani deputy prime minister oversaw the signing of two agreements and 24 MoUs between Oman and Iraq. The agreements including a "mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special, and service passports" and an "agreement on avoiding double taxation and preventing tax evasion on income and capital," the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

MoUs were signed across a wide variety of fields, including communications, financial oversight, the stock exchange, crude oil, and industry, in addition to the development of a "smart city" in Iraq's Karbala. 

During Sudani's meeting with the Omani sultan, the latter underlined his country’s desire to partner with Iraq, outlining his directives to the Omani government ministers “on the importance of transforming the memoranda of understanding into practical steps in cooperation and partnership with Iraq,” according to a statement by the Sudani's office shortly after the meeting.

The meeting was attended by delegations from both sides, the Iraqi PMO said, adding that the pair then held a bilateral meeting.

Sudani, for his part, extended the Iraqi people’s appreciation for the “distinguished position” of Oman in the face of various challenges facing Iraq and the region, the statement further noted.

The Iraqi prime minister’s visit is set to span two days and will focus on cooperation and partnership between the two nations. “Iraq has become an attractive environment for investment,” Sudani said before leaving for Oman earlier on Wednesday, adding that “countries in the region have investment opportunities in Iraq.”