At a ceremony in the Sultan’s palace on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, His Excellency Mohammed Barrie, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sierra Leone to Saudi Arabia and the non-resident Ambassador accredited to the Sultanate of Oman, formally presented his Letters of Credence to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.
While highlighting Freetown’s intention to expand diplomatic and economic ties, Ambassador Barrie extended warm greetings from President Dr Julius Maada Bio and the people of Sierra Leone to the Sultan and the people of Oman. Ambassador Barrie brought up Oman’s comparative advantages in energy, ports and logistics, infrastructure, and private sector development as areas where Sierra Leone believes mutually beneficial cooperation can be strengthened during their talks.
Citing Sierra Leone’s continued progress under President Bio’s leadership and the potential for strategic alliances, he invited the Omani government and investors to explore the country’s prospects.
The two leaders looked at specific ways to improve their bilateral ties, concentrating on: Trade and investment, mining and energy, agriculture, and fisheries; e) Port development; d) Education and capacity building. Sultan Haitham encouraged the Ambassador to submit comprehensive project proposals to direct the creation of cooperative initiatives as the meeting came to a cordial conclusion.
Ambassador Barrie visited a Ministry of Labour detention centre where three domestic workers from Sierra Leone were being held pending repatriation after the credentialing ceremony, accompanied by Head of Chancery Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabba.
The delegation evaluated their situation and decided that repatriation was appropriate; “Due to extenuating circumstances, we unanimously agreed that they should return home,” the Ambassador stated, adding that the decision demonstrated a humanitarian approach to the matter.
Ambassador Barrie described Oman as a business-friendly and cosmopolitan country with significant potential as Sierra Leone’s partner. He stated that the credentialing visit lays the groundwork for future engagement and the submission of project proposals that could turn dialogue into concrete cooperative ventures.
