Oman's Foreign Minister Visits Pakistan 13 and 14 October for the 8th Joint Ministerial Commission

Oman's Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, arrives in Islamabad on 13 October 2026 for a two day visit and will co-chair the 8th Pakistan-Oman Joint Ministerial Commission with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. Pakistan's Foreign Office has not published an agenda that names workers or visas. Workers are still the number to watch, because Pakistani worker registrations for Oman have fallen close to zero.

Nothing has been signed or announced yet. This page sets out what is confirmed, what the numbers say and what an outcome document would need to contain to matter for Pakistanis who want to work in Oman.

What is confirmed about the Omani minister's visit

State radio reported on 12 October that the visit runs from 13 to 14 October 2026 hosted by Mr Dar. The minister will co-chair the 8th Joint Ministerial Commission and call on the Prime Minister. The stated aim is to review "the entire spectrum" of Pakistan-Oman relations and strengthen cooperation across sectors.

The report does not list trade targets, labour issues or visa matters. A joint commission is a standing meeting where two governments set priorities and sign papers, so the outcome depends on what is placed on the table.

It comes a week after Pakistan hosted Bahrain's Foreign Minister for the third commission with that country. In that meeting labour was named on the agenda, as set out in the report on the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission. Oman's announcement does not do the same.

Why Pakistani workers are watching Oman

Oman used to take a large share of Pakistani workers. The Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) country table, which we read on 29 September 2026, shows 81,587 workers registered for Oman in 2024. It shows 9,375 in 2025 and only 607 from January to August 2026.

The percentage changes are our own arithmetic on the BEOE figures. We could not find an Omani labour ministry notice that explains the fall or sets out what is restricted, so we cannot say why it happened.

Oman is still an important source of money for Pakistani homes. State Bank of Pakistan data we read for the 2025-26 financial year shows $1,294 million in remittances from Oman. That is less than Saudi Arabia and the UAE but more than Bahrain.

What was already asked of Oman this month

On 6 October, Punjab's Chief Minister asked an Omani minister in Muscat to lift restrictions on skilled workers from Punjab. Punjab's government said the minister agreed. No Omani order followed, and we covered the position in Oman's reply to Punjab's request on visa curbs.

Earlier, on 29 September, Pakistan's youth programme chairman met Oman's labour ministry undersecretary in Muscat, and Oman promised continued work on labour mobility. That meeting is in our report on the Pakistan and Oman jobs talks.

The Islamabad commission is the first meeting at national level since those. It is the natural place for an Omani commitment to be written down.

What to look for in the outcome

A warm joint statement does not move a single visa. Use this list when the outcome is published on the Foreign Office website.

1. Does the text mention labour, manpower or skilled workers by name?
2. Does it give a date or a number, such as a quota or a start date?
3. Does it name an Omani ministry that will issue the change?
4. Does Oman's labour ministry publish a matching notice?
5. Does the BEOE or the Overseas Pakistanis ministry announce a new registration step?

Until all of these appear, treat any claim that Oman has "reopened" work visas as unconfirmed. Our guide to the Oman work visa from Pakistan explains the protector fee, licensed agents and fraud checks, and it will be the page to update once a rule actually changes.

What workers should do now

Do not pay an agent for an Oman visa because of this visit. Fake offers tend to spread right after a minister meeting. Check an agency's licence and ask for a visa number you can verify on the official Omani system.

The wider picture of where Pakistanis are going to work is in the report on the workers sent abroad from January to September 2026.

Common questions

When does Oman's Foreign Minister visit Pakistan?

On 13 and 14 October 2026. The visit was announced on 12 October by Pakistan's state radio.

What is the Joint Ministerial Commission?

It is a standing meeting between the two foreign ministers to review ties and agree priorities. This is the 8th meeting between Pakistan and Oman.

Will Oman reopen work visas for Pakistanis?

Not announced. The Foreign Office has not said that workers or visas are on the agenda, and Oman's labour ministry has published no change that we found.

How many Pakistanis registered to work in Oman in 2026?

607 from January to August 2026, according to the BEOE country table we read on 29 September. In 2024 the number was 81,587.

Should I apply for an Oman job now?

Only through a licensed agency and an employer visa you can verify. Do not pay anyone on the promise that restrictions are lifted.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 13 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read Pakistan's state radio report of 12 October on the Omani Foreign Minister's visit and the Foreign Office's press release page, where the latest items we could read were dated 9 October, so we found no Foreign Office curtain raiser or outcome for this visit. The BEOE worker figures are as we recorded them on 29 September; the BEOE site would not open for us today. We could not verify any Omani labour ministry restriction. The outcome of the talks was not available when this page was written.