Author: Abdullah Al-Azri

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion published in this week’s issue of the Official Gazette an amendment to the Executive Regulation of the Foreign Capital Investment Law that makes it an obligation for every company established by a foreign investor to recruit at least one Omani employee.

Companies subject to this law are required to comply with this obligation within a year from the date of the commencement of the commercial activity of such company.

Existing companies have up to 6 months to comply with this obligation starting from the date of renewal of the commercial register, or the issuance or renewal of the work license, whichever occurs first.

It is worth-noting that even though this is a new obligation under the Executive Regulation of the Foreign Capital Investment Law, the Ministry of Labour has previously issued instructions in the form of a circular requiring both foreign investor companies and local companies to employ at least a single Omani national.

The new amendment to the Executive Regulation of the Foreign Capital Investment Law enters into force today. You can read it full in English on the link below:

You can also view the consolidated version of the Executive Regulation of the Foreign Capital Investment Law on the link below:

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism published in this week’s issue of the Official Gazette the Regulation of the Rules and Systems of Real Estate in Jebel Sifah Resort.

This regulation supplements the Executive Regulation of the System of the Ownership of Real Estate in Integrated Tourism Complexes by adding new obligations to developers, buyers, and owners in Jebel Sifah Resort. Some of the new key obligation for developers under the new regulation include obligations to use an escrow account, appoint an independent audit office, and insure all units.

This new Jebel Sifah Resort Regulation enters into force tomorrow. You can read it in full in English on the link below:

A new Law Combatting Human Trafficking was issued in this week’s issue of the Official Gazette replacing the Law Combatting Human Trafficking of 2008.

The Law Combatting Human Trafficking of 2025 adds new detailed definitions for human trafficking concepts that were not defined in the previous law, such as sexual exploitation and forced labour. The law also criminalises new trafficking activities such as deporting and detaining of humans in the context of human trafficking. The punishments under the law have also been increased so that the maximum prison sentence for general offences is increased from 7 to 10 years.

The Law Combatting Human Trafficking of 2025 has already entered into force. You can read it in full in English on the link below: