Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi held phone talks on Monday to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The two ministers exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and emphasized the importance of continued coordination and consultation, diplomatic efforts to maintain regional security and stability, and ensuring safe and free passage through the strategic waterway.
On the same day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that Iran and Oman are holding talks on the Strait of Hormuz issue, stressing that the discussions are "bilateral matters" between the two countries and unrelated to the United States.
An Omani diplomatic delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday. Iranian media reported that the visit aims to establish an appropriate mechanism for maritime traffic management in the strait.
According to data from analytics firm Kpler, daily commercial vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz remained in single digits from July 24 to 26, despite the pause in U.S.-Iran strikes.
Saudi Arabia, Oman discuss Hormuz navigation
Preparations for the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) are in full swing, officials said Monday, marking the 100‑day countdown to the event.
The 9th CIIE will be held in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10, with Romania, Moldova and the United Nations Development Programme joining for the first time.
Fifty‑three countries and three international organizations have already confirmed participation in the national pavilions.
Canada will again serve as guest country of honor, while more than 1,200 organizations - including 265 Fortune 500 firms - have confirmed company pavilions.
International participation continues to grow, with exhibitors from the UK to Australia and the Czech Republic calling CIIE a vital gateway to the Chinese market.
"The UK views CIIE as a key platform for UK companies coming to China. We first participated in the first ever CIIE, which was in 2018, as a country of honor. So, we see this as a key platform. We particularly find the opportunity for small and medium sized enterprises to be very useful to understand the Chinese market and to engage with Chinese consumers," said Emily Hemmings, commercial consul and head of energy trade and investment at the British Consulate-General.
"Last year, we had 180 companies and we expect to do significantly better this year. We are just finalizing our negotiation on the space and I know we'll have quite a bit more space than last year so it looks very exciting," said John Madew, senior trade and investment commissioner at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission.
"Czech companies have been attending CIIE since the beginning of the initiative, so this year we will have a stable number around 10 companies, mostly in the food and beverage sector. But we are trying to promote the event as much as possible and I hope next year we can also bring other companies from different industries as well," said Jan Zapletal, director of CzechTrade China.
According to exhibition area size, the United States now tops all foreign nations. At the same time, CIIE will upgrade its special section for African countries with diplomatic ties to China, encouraging broader Global South participation.
Preparations underway for 9th CIIE as 100-day countdown begins
