Visit marks the next chapter in a growing bilateral investment corridor between the Sultanate of Oman and Sri Lanka
Port City Colombo received a high-level delegation from the Sultanate of Oman earlier this month, in what marks a significant step forward in the strengthening investment relationship between the two countries.
The delegation was led by His Excellency Pankaj Khimji, Advisor for Foreign Trade and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion of the Sultanate of Oman, and included His Excellency Ahmed Al Rashdi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Sri Lanka, and Mr. Moosa Al Kharusi, Projects Division Director at the Advisor’s Office of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion.
The visit follows Port City Colombo’s own engagement in Muscat earlier this year, where the Colombo Port City Economic Commission and CHEC Port City Colombo conducted an investor forum and held meetings with key Omani government and business stakeholders, including the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) and Invest Oman. The Omani delegation’s visit to Port City Colombo represents a natural continuation of those discussions, a reciprocal engagement that reflects the growing momentum and mutual interest in building a structured investment corridor between Oman and South Asia.
The engagement at Port City Colombo centred on a roundtable discussion covering bilateral investment opportunities, the Oman–South Asia Investment and Trade Corridor, institutional collaboration between the two countries’ respective Special Economic Zones, and the pathway for onboarding Omani companies into Port City Colombo’s SEZ ecosystem.
Addressing the delegation, Mr. Revan Wickramasuriya, Director General of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission, underscored Port City Colombo’s commitment to providing a transparent, fair, and facilitative environment for all businesses operating within the SEZ. He noted that all investors are treated equitably under the Commission’s regulatory framework, designed to support business activity with clarity, consistency, and institutional credibility regardless of the size or origin of the investment.
His Excellency Pankaj Khimji, Royal Advisor for Foreign Trade and International Co-operation of the Sultanate of Oman and Director of the Khimji Ramdas Group, delivering the guest of honour address, pointed to the existing bilateral trade relationship as a foundation to build on, with bilateral trade turnover reaching approximately USD 223 million in 2022, nearly double the figure of USD 118 million recorded in 2018, while making clear that these figures should be a starting point, not an ambition. He invited Sri Lankan entrepreneurs and investors to view Oman not simply as a market of five million people, but as a platform from which to access much larger markets. Equally, he encouraged Oman to view Port City Colombo not merely as another destination, but as a platform into South Asia.
“From friendship to enterprise; from connectivity to commerce; and from political goodwill to measurable investment and trade – this is where the next chapter of Oman–Sri Lanka relations must be written,” he said. “Let us build that corridor together.”
The visit reinforces the growing strategic alignment between Oman and Sri Lanka. Port City Colombo, as Sri Lanka’s purpose-built Special Economic Zone governed under the CPCEC Act 2021, offers Omani businesses a familiar, internationally benchmarked platform from which to establish operations, access South Asian markets, and build on the existing bilateral commercial relationship.
The engagement forms part of Port City Colombo’s broader programme of Gulf outreach. With over 175 companies now registered within the SEZ and over USD 1 billion in investment secured between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026, Port City Colombo’s growing international profile continues to attract serious interest from across the Gulf region and beyond.
To learn more about the investment opportunities at Port City Colombo, please visit www.portcitycolombo.lk. For information on Single Window Investment Facilitation and regulatory matters, please visit www.portcitycolombo.gov.lk.
Image Caption – The Omani delegation at Port City Colombo, with members of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission and CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd
About Port City Colombo
Port City Colombo is a modern, master-planned city development envisioned as a world-class international business and lifestyle hub in South Asia. Spanning 269 hectares along the main East–West maritime route, it is Sri Lanka’s first foreign currency-designated multi-services Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and the country’s largest public–private partnership development project.
Governed by the Colombo Port City Economic Commission, the project operates under a dedicated regulatory framework that offers internationally benchmarked standards, strong investor protection, ease of doing business, and competitive fiscal and non-fiscal incentives.
Designed to attract high-value Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Port City Colombo facilitates sectors including financial services, IT and digital services, global trading, maritime and logistics, professional services, and regional headquarters operations. Upon completion, the estimated US$15 billion development is expected to generate significant employment, knowledge transfer, and long-term economic growth for Sri Lanka.
