Category: Law Updates

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) issued in today’s Official Gazette a new Decision E/25/2024 Issuing the Governance Regulation for the Account for the Treatment of Visitors in Emergencies. Under this new regulation, visitors to Oman will be able to request a subsidy of up to 5,000 Rial Omani from the government to cover their medical emergencies if they exhaust the limit of their existing health insurance, have an expired health insurance policy, or do not have any health insurance at all.

Visitors must submit the application for this new subsidy to the FSA along with a copy of their visit visa, documented evidence of the emergency health condition, and proof of the inability to cover emergency treatment costs (attested by an embassy or government entity).

This new subsidy will be funded by imposing a new 0.5% fee on every health insurance or travel insurance purchased in Oman. Insurance companies will be required to collect this fee from policy buyers and transfer the money to the government on a quarterly basis.

This new regulation enters into force after 90 days. You can read this decision in full in English at the link below:

ROP issued in today’s issue of the Official Gazette a decision amending the Executive Regulation of the Traffic Law, adding a new chapter numbered threebis to the regulation that outlines the requirements for establishing bike riding schools. The addition of these amendments to the Executive Regulation of the Traffic Law puts in place for the first time a formal framework that applies to bike riding training in Oman.

The most recent issue of the Official Gazette published three royal decrees issued by His Majesty establishing three nature reserves: The Buraimi Oasis Natural Reserve, the Dhahirah Natural Reserve, and the Al-Jabal Al-Gharbi Natural Reserve. Some of you might be wondering, what is the purpose of these royal decrees and what are nature reserves? This blog will attempt to provide a very quick overview of this interesting area of law.

The Ministry of Technology, Communications, and Information Technology (MTCIT) issued at the beginning of this week a brand new data protection policy for government entities that sets the rules for the processing of personal data by government entities. The policy mandates that all government entities must commit to protecting personal data and must implement security measures against unauthorised access or breaches.

Oman’s first Biometrics Law was promulgated last week and published in the Official Gazette yesterday. This new law establishes the regulatory framework for the collection, use, and protection of biometric data primarily for use in forensics.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning published in this week’s issue of the Official Gazette a decision issuing the Form of the System of Real Estate Owners Associations that is intended to be binding on Real Estate Owners Associations and read alongside the System of the Apartments and Floors Ownership and its executive regulation.

The Environment Authority issued this week Decision 8/2024 Banning the Use of Plastic Shopping Bags as part of the efforts of the government to protect the environment. This decision repeals Decision 23/2020, which previously outright banned all single-use plastic bags.

The Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs published in this week’s issue of the Official Gazette a decision regulating financial transfers made to advocates as part of the national government efforts in the area of combating anti-money laundering and terrorism fraud schemes.

The new decision requires law firms to receive any payments equal to or exceeding the value of 500 Rial Omani through bank transfers only. For amounts less than 500 Rial Omani, it is permitted for law firms to receive cash payments provided that a receipt is issued in regard to the payment confirming the amount received and the purpose of the payment. Violations of this new decision will be considered violations of the Law of Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing.

This new decision enters into force tomorrow. You can read it in full in English on the link below:

The Consumer Protection Authority has published in today’s Official Gazette a new decision Banning the Trading of Furniture Manufactured from Used Sponges, Fabrics, and Clothes that replaces the previous decision banning the use of such materials in the manufacture of furniture issued in 2015.

The Consumer Protection Authority has published in today’s Official Gazette a new decision Banning the Trading of Electronic Cigarettes and Electronic Shisha and Their Accessories that replaces the previous decision banning electronic cigarettes and shisha issued in 2015.