RIYADH: Collaboration efforts between Saudi Arabia and Oman’s civil aviation sectors are on course to boom as the two countries discuss areas of cooperation. The Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority held a meeting with its Omani counterpart to activate bilateral relations in the field, the Oman News Agency reported. This aligns with their endeavors regarding exploring a joint tourism calendar and facilitating seasonal trips between the two countries. During the meeting, the two sides discussed opportunities to increase air transport rights and ways to optimally activate the Saudi and Omani airspaces to raise their efficiency and capacity in line with the steady growth in air traffic regionally and globally. In July 2023, leading institutions from the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance trade and economic relations. The Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund signed the deal with the Oman Investment Authority in a move that will help PIF and its portfolio companies unlock opportunities in the Gulf nation. Saudi Arabia’s economic relationship with Oman has continuously growing stronger. In 2022, trade between the two nations surged by 123 percent compared to the previous year, reaching $7.01 billion. “The MoU represents a significant milestone in PIF and OIA’s strategic partnership as it aims to expand PIF’s portfolio in Oman, building on the recent establishment of the Saudi Omani Investment Co., a wholly owned company by the PIF, which intends to invest up to $5billion in promising sectors in Oman,” the fund said in a statement released at the time. In June 2023, the introduction of a unified tourist visa between Saudi Arabia and Oman was one of the several initiatives agreed upon at a high-level meeting. This came as Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb met with his Omani counterpart Salim Al-Mahrouqi. The two ministers also discussed boosting trade and investment cooperation in tourism-related projects, as well as supporting entrepreneurs participating in the industry. Furthermore, both parties reached an agreement to implement joint tourism programs focusing on camping and adventure tourism.