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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This guest blog post is contributed by Wadhah Al-Hinai – Legal Researcher at Sultan Qaboos University.
In today’s interconnected business landscape, where information flows rapidly and collaborations thrive, maintaining confidentiality has become more critical than ever. For individuals and organizations alike, protecting sensitive information is vital for maintaining trust, fostering innovation, and preserving competitive advantage. This article explores the importance of confidentiality clauses in contracts and their role in safeguarding valuable assets and maintaining healthy business relationships.
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First Cemetery Regulation Issued
The Ministry of Interior issued in today’s Official Gazette a brand new Regulation Governing Cemeteries. This is Oman’s first ever legal instrument that governs the cemeteries and it outlines the management, establishment, and operational standards for cemeteries along with the requirements for burial practices, cemetery maintenance, and public health compliance.
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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.
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.
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Intel Update: April 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
Financial Services Authority: The Financial Services Authority (هيئة الخدمات المالية) is the government entity responsible for regulating the capital markets; insurance companies; the commodities, energy, and derivatives market; credit rating agencies; and the accounting and auditing profession.
The Ministry of Energy and Minerals: The Ministry of Energy and Minerals (وزارة الطاقة والمعادن) is the entity responsible for formulating the strategies and policies of the energy and minerals sectors, as well as developing, supervising, and regulating them.
Case Summary: Supreme Court (Labour Circuit: Contestation) 548/2017 (Failure to Terminate a Definite Period Contract): The Supreme Court held that the failure of the employer to terminate a definite period employment contract before its expiry transformed the contract into a new indefinite period contract.
Fatwa Summary: MJLA Fatwa 212744737 (Oman Housing Bank VAT Exemption): The Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs (MJLA) held that the Oman Housing Bank, a government-owned enterprise under the Oman Investment Authority, is exempt from value added tax (VAT).
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.
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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Nature Reserves Under Omani Law
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.
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Introducing: Decree Risk
We are launching today Decree Risk—a brand new structured database intended to help organisations engaging with Omani businesses manage their risk by providing timely updates on liquidation, capital reduction, legal form transformation, and other risks associated with Omani companies.