The Oman Investment Authority (OIA) on Thursday pledged support for Chinese investors seeking to enter the Middle Eastern market.

Speaking at the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong, the authority’s chief investment officer for private markets, Ibrahim Al Eisri, said trade between China and Oman reached almost US$30 billion last year.

With a substantial inflow of Chinese capital into Oman, Al Eisri said the OIA has set up an office in Hong Kong and various funds designed to help Chinese businesses expand operations into the country on the Arabian Peninsula.

“Within my capacity... as a chief investment officer of OIA, there’s no week now that passes that I don't meet a Chinese entrepreneur or a Chinese investment company that passes by Oman,” Al Eisri said.

“What has Oman to offer is in terms of cheaper energy, geographical location, ports, you know, that can offer Chinese companies growth.”

Al Eisri pointed out that with the launch of the "Future Fund Oman" investment fund, the OIA is willing to provide up to 40 percent funding of the investments that businesses are making in the country.

“For the Chinese investors, it gives them comfort that a sovereign [fund] is actually partnering with them,” he said.