Category: Monthly Digest

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 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.

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.

Decree Monthly Digest is a summary of the most significant updates on Decree in the previous month.

Royal Decrees

Eleven royal decrees were issued in November, with the most significant being Royal Decree 80/2023 regarding Tax Exemption and Royal Decree 84/2023 Restructuring Oman Development Bank SAOC.

Decree Monthly Digest is a summary of the most significant updates on Decree in the previous month.

Royal Decrees

Three royal decrees were issued in October, the first two promulgating the Public Debt Law and the Tourism Law, and the third appointing new ambassadors.

Decree Monthly Digest is a summary of the most significant updates on Decree in the previous month.

Royal Decrees

Twelve royal decrees were issued in September, with the most significant being Royal Decree 62/2023 Amending Some Provisions of the Civil Aviation Law. Royal decrees were also issued establishing an embassy for the Sultanate of Oman in Australia, ratifying civil aviation agreements with Senegal and Belarus, and acceding to the Convention on the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation.

Decree Monthly Digest is a summary of the most significant updates on Decree in the previous month.

Decree Intel

Decree Intel was launched providing explanatory notes, overviews of government entities, and summaries of Supreme Court cases and MJLA Fatwas to Decree subscribers. You can learn more about this in our announcement post.

Royal Decrees

No royal decrees were published in the Official Gazette in the month of August.

Ministerial Decisions

Five ministerial decisions were published in the Official Gazette during this month, with the most significant ones being MEM’s Amendment to the Executive Regulation of the Mining Law, MOH’s decision Specifying Medicines that May be Dispensed without a Prescription, EA’s Regulation on Environmental Permits, and SMEDA’s new SME Financing Regulation.

Events

Applications are still open for the Middle East School on Internet Governance co-hosted by Decree.

Blog Updates

Our blog featured two posts by Mohammed Al-Farsi titled “New Omani Labour Law: 5 Employee Rights and 5 Employer Rights” and “Banned Barbie: Censorship Law in Oman“, along with a guest post by Duniya Al-Nabhani titled “Protection of the Rights of the Disabled under Omani Law“, a guest post by Bassam Al-Balushi titled “Biotechnology: Ethical Dilemma and Financial Issues“, a guest post by Adeeb Al-Mazroui titled “Smart Homes and Privacy Risks“, and a guest post by Faris Al-Said titled “Ranked Choice Voting: A Missed Opportunity in the New Shura Elections Law“.

Other News

Decree signed an MOU with the Omani Lawyers Association to provide special subscription rates for small and medium Omani law firms.

Decree Monthly Digest is a summary of the most significant legislation issued in the previous month.

ROYAL DECREES

Twelve royal decrees were published in July, with the most significant being Royal Decree 52/2023 Promulgating the Social Protection Law, and Royal Decree 53/2023 Promulgating the Labour Law. The systems of the entities that will administer the Social Protection Law were also published through Royal Decree 50/2023 Promulgating the System of the Social Protection Fund and Royal Decree 51/2023 Promulgating the System of the Military and Security Services Pension Fund. Other noteworthy royal decrees include Royal Decree 54/2023 Promulgating the Members of Majlis Al-Shura Elections Law, Royal Decree 44/2023 Establishing the Khazaen Economic City and Promulgating Its System, and royal decrees approving exploration and mining concession agreements numbered 46/2023, 47/2023, 48/2023, and 55/2023, and Royal Decree 49/2023 Ratifying the Agreement between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Government of the Republic of Poland on the Mutual Visa Exemption for Holders of Diplomatic, Special, and Service Passports.

MINISTERIAL DECISIONS

Ten ministerial decisions were published in the Official Gazette during this month, with the most significant ones being MOCIIP’s decision on the combatting of concealed trading, MAFW’s decision amending some provisions of the regulation governing wells and aflaj, and OAAAQA’s decision determining the fees for institutional accreditation of higher education establishments with branches.

BLOG UPDATES

Our blog featured a commentary article by Yousuf Al-Busaidi titled “Regulating the Waterworks—the New Water and Wastewater Sector Law”, four posts by Mohammed Al-Farsi titled “Oman Joins the GCC Railway Project: An Overview”, “MOL Issues Decision on the Wage Protection System”, “MHUP Amends Decision on the Controls for Allocating Government Land for Public Majlises”, and “The New Joint Dialogue Committee under the Omani Labour Law”, and one post by Dr Riyadh Al-Balushi titled “New Grounds for Terminating Employment Under Omani Labour Law”.

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Decree Monthly Digest is a summary of the most significant legislation issued in the previous month.

ROYAL DECREES

Ten royal decrees were published in June, with the most significant being Royal Decree 40/2023 Promulgating the Law on the Regulation of the Water and Wastewater Sector and Royal Decree 42/2023 Issuing a Licence to Starlink Muscat SPC to Build and Operate a Satellite Communication System. Other noteworthy ones include royal decrees appointing an undersecretary for the Foreign Ministry, a representative to the ASEAN, and a representative to the World Tourism Organization; approving the accession to the GCC rail agreement; approving the concession agreement for Block 21, approving the assignment of the rights and obligations of Block 49; and ratifying a double taxation treaty with Egypt. 

MINISTERIAL DECISIONS

Thirteen ministerial decisions were published in the Official Gazette during this month, with the most significant ones being MHUP’s decision to amend the controls of the ownership of land and real estate by companies for practising their activity, MOCIIP’s decision to amend the list of activities that are prohibited to be practised by foreign investment, and OPAZ’s decision to determine the fees of the services it provides.

BLOG UPDATES

Our blog featured a commentary article by Riyadh Al-Balushi titled “Closed Education: Copyright Provisions in the Omani School Education Law”, two posts by Mohammed Al-Farsi titled “Omani Laws Every Law Graduate Should Know” and “Things You Didn’t Know Were Crimes in Oman”, and two posts by Duniya Al-Nabhani titled “The Omani Constitution: Five Things to Know” and “Key Insights into Your Employment Contract”, along with law updates on MHUP’s decision allowing companies to own residential real estate units in integrated residential compounds and MOCIIP’s decisions to simplify investor procedures and to amend foreign investor prohibited activities.

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