RRI.CO.ID, Muscat – Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister Muhammad Anis Matta discussed strengthening Indonesia-Oman bilateral relations and the latest developments in the Middle East during a meeting with the Sultan of Oman's Special Envoy for Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Zaher Al-Hinai, in Muscat, Oman, on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.

During the meeting, both sides reviewed the implementation of various bilateral cooperation agreements and exchanged views on developments in the Middle East affecting regional stability, the security of international shipping lanes, and global energy security, including the situations in Yemen and Palestine.

Indonesia and Oman also reaffirmed their shared view that dialogue and diplomacy are the primary instruments for easing tensions in the region.

The two sides welcomed the positive trend in bilateral trade. Indonesia-Oman trade reached US$954.2 million during the January–May 2026 period, an increase of around 77 percent compared with the same period last year. During the same period, Indonesia's exports to Oman also rose by nearly 97 percent, from US$176.6 million to US$347.7 million.

During his working visit to Muscat, Anis Matta also delivered a keynote address and officially opened the 2026 Indonesian Students Association (PPI) Middle East and Africa Symposium, themed "The Role and Influence of Indonesian Students in the Middle East and Africa in Global Transformation and Islamic Civilization."

The symposium brought together Indonesian students pursuing higher education in Oman, Yemen, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Libya, and Pakistan. In his keynote speech, Anis Matta emphasized the important role of Indonesian students in the Middle East as part of an intellectual tradition that has made significant contributions to Indonesia's national development.

He noted that approximately 27,000 Indonesian students studying in the Middle East are encouraged to continue strengthening their intellectual capacity and generating ideas that can contribute to Indonesia's national development as well as to a more peaceful and inclusive global order.