Русский
Russia’s The Maritime Board Chairman Nikolai Patrushev has visited the Maritime Security Center in Muscat, Oman, and discussed the possibility of cooperation with Russia on security issues within the center’s remit, according to the Russian Maritime Board.
Patrushev discussed with the Omani side the possibility of joint work on issues that are on the radar screen of the Maritime Security Center. The Muscat-based center is in charge of coordinating operations to ensure security in Oman’s maritime zone, protect its seaports and coast and counter maritime security threats, according to the statement. It also participates in climate change studies.
Patrushev also visited Muscat’s Sultan Qaboos seaport, which accepts cruise liners, serves as the venue for protocol events marking foreign ships’ port calls, and is the base of the Oman Royal Yacht Squadron. Oman’s Salalah Port (pictured) is one of the largest in the Gulf and has just undergone a US$300 million expansion.
The move comes as Russia is apparently looking for alternatives to Iran, should conflict break out there, coupled with a desire to extend the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) deeper into the Middle East and to provide improved shipping access to markets in East Africa.
For example, Russia’s Delo Group is discussing the development of a grain distribution hub in Oman to better access East African markets.
In an interview with the Muscat Daily on December 7, Aleksey Valkov, Deputy Director of the Roscongress Foundation and Director of SPIEF, highlighted the “growing depth of Russia–Oman economic ties and the emergence of new cooperation frontiers.”
His assessment reflects a broader reality: both nations are positioning themselves at a moment of structural economic realignment, where logistics, energy, food security, and technology are redefining global connectivity. The establishment of the Omani–Russian Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation, co-chaired by senior ministers from both nations, symbolizes the intention to move beyond traditional diplomatic warmth toward a comprehensive economic partnership centered on concrete projects, private-sector engagement, and long-term investment flows.
A major shift in 2025 was the increasing number of Russian businesses relocating or registering subsidiaries in Oman, driven by UAE banks tightening compliance on Russian clients, Oman’s neutrality and lower integration with Western financial systems, simplified corporate regulations, opportunity to access Omani special economic zones (SEZs) and competitive infrastructure at Oman’s Salalah, Duqm, Sohar, and Muscat ports. Over 30 ships formerly registered to Russian companies, including Sovcomflot and FESCO, have re-flagged to Oman this year reflecting Muscat’s rising profile as a Russian maritime and shipping base. Tighter compliance scrutiny in Dubai is driving Russian shipping toward Muscat. Oman is seizing the moment, strengthening trade and maritime ties with Russia. Oman has also become a hotspot for ship-to-ship (STS) transfers of Russian oil, particularly off its deep-water coastline. These developments underscore Oman’s emergence as the new logistical frontier in Russia’s Pivot to Asia.
