Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde have invited His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to travel to Belgium for a state visit on December 3–4, 2024.
Muscat – The visit, according to the Belgian ‘The Royal Forums’ “will reflect the excellent relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Belgium, and will be an important step in strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between our two countries.”
It further notes that the “program will include three components: a protocol and diplomatic component, a component focused on port and energy cooperation, and a component devoted to cultural cooperation, defence, the biopharmaceutical sector and space.”
The visit will begin on December 3 with a ceremonial reception at the Royal Palace in Brussels, followed by a working luncheon between His Majesty Sultan Haitham and the Belgian royal couple. His Majesty will also visit the Brussels City Hall, and the day will conclude with a state dinner at Laeken Palace.
On December 4, His Majesty and King Philippe will visit the Port of Antwerp in the city of Antwerp.
Discussions will focus on enhancing cooperation between the ports of Antwerp-Bruges and Duqm, particularly in the areas of green energy and renewable resources. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges aims to position itself as a leading European hub for green energy, including hydrogen, and is partnering with Oman due to its abundance of wind and solar energy resources.
The visit will conclude with a thematic lunch at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, where the focus will be on defence, biopharmaceuticals, and space exploration. This segment highlights the expanding collaboration between Oman and Belgium in these high-tech sectors.
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