Author: Malak Al Kharusi

An underlying issue across disputes regarding highly technical matters, such as defective construction work, a delay claim in an oil exploration agreement, or a technical disagreement regarding software development, is that whoever determines the outcome of the dispute has to understand not only the law, but the engineering or technical concepts as well. Litigation and arbitration in Oman overcome this issue using different methods. Litigation allows referring technical questions to an appointed expert who drafts a report to be considered by the judge, while arbitration allows the parties to appoint a technical expert to sit on the tribunal itself, as one of the individuals actually resolving the dispute.

The Labour Law by Royal Decree 53/2023 serves as the primary law governing private sector employment relationships throughout Oman. It sets out different routes that can cause an employment contract to come to an end, with each route having its own consequences (end-of-service gratuity, notice pay, and exposure to a claim for arbitrary dismissal). This piece outlines some of the grounds by which employment can be terminated.

Many people use the word “union” loosely; however, Oman labour law splits them into three segments, each with its own formations, rules, powers, and eligibilities. The aim of this post is to break down the differences between the Labour Union, Trade Union, and the General Federation for Workers of the Sultanate of Oman, as provided in the Ministry of Labour Decision 284/2026 Regarding the Statute for the Formation, Work, and Registration of Labour Unions, Trade Unions, and the General Federation for Workers of the Sultanate of Oman.

The Basic Statute of the State is Oman’s constitution and provides the governance structure of the state. Something that most people do not know is that His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik holds two distinct positions as the sovereign Head of State as well as the Prime Minister. This blog post will explore the differences between these two positions.