The Sultanate of Oman, represented by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, joins ministers in Manila this week for the meeting commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC). On the sidelines of the Philippine-hosted gathering, Oman will hold a series of high-level bilateral meetings intended to advance political and economic partnerships, widen trade and investment opportunities, and strengthen cooperation on regional priorities of mutual interest.
The Philippines figures prominently in Oman’s engagement with the region. Around 50,000 Filipinos live and work in the Sultanate, where they serve in healthcare, aviation, hospitality, construction and professional services. Their remittances support families across the country, and their presence forms the most immediate link between the two nations. Oman regards this community as the foundation on which broader cooperation in trade, investment, innovation, education, research and cultural exchange can be built.
Oman’s participation reflects its deepening engagement with Southeast Asia and its role as a trusted partner connecting ASEAN with the Gulf, Africa and wider international markets. Several of the priority sectors on the table speak directly to Philippine strengths and needs, among them maritime transport, where Filipino seafarers crew a substantial share of the world’s merchant fleet, as well as logistics, energy and green hydrogen, food security, tourism, digital transformation, advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies. Cooperation in these areas serves Oman Vision 2040, the Sultanate’s long-term development plan, while offering Philippine firms and workers a wider footing in the Gulf.
Trade, investment and people-to-people ties between Oman and ASEAN member states continue to grow. The bloc, of which the Philippines is a founding member, is home to more than 684 million people and recorded trade in goods exceeding USD 3.8 trillion in 2024. Other member states have already moved to convert that potential into concrete arrangements: bilateral trade with Singapore reached roughly OMR 511 million (about USD 1.3 billion, or PHP 76 billion) by the end of October 2024, while Thailand’s PTT signed a long-term agreement to buy 300,000 metric tonnes of liquefied natural gas each year from Oman LNG beginning in 2025. Oman sees room for the Philippines to pursue comparable agreements in energy, food and logistics.
The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation was signed in Bali in 1976 as ASEAN’s foundational framework for peaceful relations, dialogue and regional cooperation, with the Philippines among its original signatories. Oman acceded to the Treaty in 2022 through Royal Decree No. 7/2023, affirming principles that have long guided its foreign policy and that Manila has likewise upheld: dialogue, mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, adherence to international law and constructive international engagement. Fifty years on, those shared commitments give Oman and the Philippines a common basis for closer work on regional stability and sustainable development. As ASEAN and the Gulf deepen engagement, Oman sees the Philippines not only as a valued diplomatic partner but also as a strategic gateway for broader economic cooperation between Southeast Asia and the Middle East.