Decree Intel is a database of original Omani legal research material that provides explanatory notes, overviews of government entities, and summaries of Supreme Court cases and MJLA Fatwas.
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Decree Monthly Digest – May 2024
Decree Monthly Digest is a summary of the most significant updates on Decree in the previous month.
Royal Decrees
The month of May was a slow month for royal decrees as only two royal decrees were issued. The first related to the grant of Omani nationality, and the other related to the Oman Centre for Traditional Music transfer from the Diwan of Royal Court to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth.
Ministerial Decisions
Seven ministerial decisions were published in the Official Gazette during this month, with the most significant being the Ministry of Interior Regulation Governing Cemeteries, Tax Authority’s decision forming the Tax Grievance Committee, and the MOH’s decisions on the Social Protection Law Medical Committee and Medical Grievance Committee. It is worth noting that the Ministry of Labour also issued Ministerial Decision 320/2024 Forming the Committee for Arbitration of Collective Labour Disputes, which was not published in the Official Gazette.
Intel
Decree Intel was updated with overviews of the Ministry of Education and the Environment Authority, and with MJLA Fatwa 212746193 (Applying Civil Transactions Law to Contractual Rights) and MJLA Fatwa 212743851 (Contract Value Revision).
Blog Updates
Our blog featured a guest post by Wadhah Al-Hinai titled “Safeguarding Trust and Privacy: The Crucial Role of Confidentiality Clauses in Contracts” along with short updates on the cemeteries regulation and MOH’s decisions on the SPL medical committees.
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Intel Update: May 2024
Decree Intel is a database of original Omani legal research material that provides explanatory notes, overviews of government entities, and summaries of Supreme Court cases and MJLA Fatwas.
Categories
Decree Monthly Digest – April 2024
Decree Monthly Digest is a summary of the most significant updates on Decree in the previous month.
Royal Decrees
Four royal decrees were issued in April, three of which established nature reserves: Buraimi Oasis Natural Reserve, Dhahirah Natural Reserve, and Al-Jabal Al-Gharbi Natural Reserve. The other royal decree ratified the Agreement between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Swiss Federal Council concerning the Employment Authorization of Accompanying Persons of Official Employees.
Ministerial Decisions
Twelve ministerial decisions were published in the Official Gazette during this month, with the most significant being CBO’s Money Services Business Regulation, ROP’s amendments to the Executive Regulation of the Traffic Law relating to bike riding schools, FSA’s Governance Regulation for the Account for the Treatment of Visitors in Emergencies, and TA’s amendments to the Rules for Automated Exchange of Financial Accounts Information relating to controlling persons.
Intel
Decree Intel was updated with overviews of the Financial Services Authority and of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, and with Case Summary: Supreme Court (Labour Circuit: Contestation) 548/2017 (Failure to Terminate a Definite Period Contract) and Fatwa Summary: MJLA Fatwa 212744737 (Oman Housing Bank VAT Exemption).
Blog Updates
Our blog featured posts on the new Biometrics Law, MTCIT’s Personal Data Protection Policy for Government Entities, nature reserves under Omani law, ROP’s decision on bike riding schools, and FSA’s decision on emergency treatment funding for visitors.
Decree signed earlier this week a memorandum of understanding with the Modern College of Business and Science (MCBS) to cooperate in the fields of legal awareness activity, professional development programmes, community service, and other fields. MCBS staff and students are already regular attendees of Decree events, and Decree and MCBS intend to collaborate in hosting a number of joint activities that target MCBS and the wider community in collaboration with public and private sector partners.
MCBS has also recently subscribed to Decree and plans on using Decree content to inform its business operations and to supplement its legal educational materials.
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Decree Monthly Digest – March 2024
Decree Monthly Digest is a summary of the most significant updates on Decree in the previous month.
Royal Decrees
Nine royal decrees were issued in March, with the most significant ones being those establishing the Financial Services Authority, promulgating the Biometric Law, and amending the Law of the State of Emergency and the Criminal Procedure Law.
Decree Monthly Digest is a summary of the most significant updates on Decree in the previous month.
Royal Decrees
Six royal decrees were issued in February, with the most significant being those related to the restructuring of the health sector in Oman, which are Royal Decree 10/2024 Determining the Competences of the Ministry of Health and Adopting Its Organisational Structure and Royal Decree 11/2024 Establishing the University Medical City and Promulgating Its System. Also for the first time since October 2022, the government awarded concessions over new oil blocks through Royal Decrees 8/2024 and 9/2024.
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Intel Update: February 2024
Decree Intel is a database of original Omani legal research material that provides explanatory notes, overviews of government entities, and summaries of Supreme Court cases and MJLA Fatwas.
New Content
Fatwa Summary: MJLA Fatwa 192721181 (SAI Confidential Emails): The Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs (MJLA) deemed that the State Audit Institute (SAI) has a duty to release the confidential emails of a third-party held in its possession to support the defence of the government against the claims made by that third-party in an arbitration case.
Case Summary: Supreme Court (Labour Circuit) Contestation 717/2016 (Verbal Insult to Employer): An Omani employee was terminated from his job for insulting a manager in the presence of other employees. He sued his employer for unfair dismissal and demanded compensation. The Supreme Court ruled that the termination of employment was valid, emphasising that any form of assault affecting a person’s dignity is deemed grievous under article 40(8) of the Labour Law of 2003.
The Secretariat General for National Celebrations: The Secretariat General for National Celebrations (الأمانة العامة للاحتفالات الوطنية) is the entity responsible for organising national celebrations in the country.
The Ministry of Health: The Ministry of Health (وزارة الصحة) is the body responsible for developing healthcare policies as well as managing and directing the delivery of health services in the country.
Decree Monthly Digest is a summary of the most significant updates on Decree in the previous month.
Royal Decrees
Four royal decrees were issued in January, with the most significant being Royal Decree 1/2024 Ratifying the General Budget of the State for Fiscal Year 2024 and Royal Decree 2/2024 Establishing the National Fund for Emergency Cases.
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Intel Update: January 2024
Decree Intel is a database of original Omani legal research material that provides explanatory notes, overviews of government entities, and summaries of Supreme Court cases and MJLA Fatwas.
New Content
Case Summary: Supreme Court (Criminal Circuit) 661/2016 (Public Interest as a Defamation Defence): A Twitter user was accused of violating the Cybercrime Law by insulting agents of a falaj for their role in depriving a public park of water, which led to the deterioration of the conditions of the park. The Supreme Court ruled that the competing intentions of the perpetrator (protecting public interest vs insulting certain individuals) must be weighed against each other when determining if a crime has taken place. In this case, the Supreme Court refused to overturn the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Nizwa finding him not guilty on the basis that the public interest intention outweighed the insult intention.
Overview of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation: The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation (وزارة التعليم العالي والبحث العلمي و ابتكار) is the entity responsible for overseeing higher education, scientific research, vocational training, and innovation in the Sultanate.
State Financial and Administrative Audit Institution: The State Financial and Administrative Audit Institution (جهاز الرقابة المالية والإدارية للدولة) is the entity responsible for auditing property owned by the state as well as certain entities.
Civil Aviation Authority: The Civil Aviation Authority (هيئة الطيران المدني) is the entity responsible for regulating civil aviation, meteorology, and certain climate affairs matters.