Legal Guides
Practical guides to Omani law written by the firm's team: procedures, rights and time limits, with their official sources.
Annulment and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards in OmanA guide to what follows an arbitral award under the Arbitration Law RD 47/97: the ninety-day annulment action, its effect on enforcement, and the procedure and documents for obtaining the enforcement order.Drafting Arbitration Clauses in Omani Contracts: A Practical GuideA guide to drafting arbitration clauses under the Arbitration Law RD 47/97: the writing requirement, the elements of an effective clause — seat, language, number of arbitrators — and the drafting mistakes that void or paralyse a clause.Creditors' Rights in an Omani BankruptcyA practical guide for creditors of a distressed debtor under the Bankruptcy Law RD 53/2019: petitioning for bankruptcy, registering claims in the estate, voiding the debtor's post-cessation dealings, and the order of distribution.Declaring Bankruptcy in Oman: Conditions and EffectsA guide to bankruptcy declaration in Oman under the Bankruptcy Law RD 53/2019: which traders may be declared bankrupt, who may apply, the competent court, and the judgment's effect on the debtor's assets and dealings.Preventive Composition in Oman: How It WorksA guide to preventive composition under the Bankruptcy Law RD 53/2019: the petition and its attachments, the debtor managing under a composition trustee's supervision, the ban on donations, and how it differs from restructuring and bankruptcy.Restructuring in Oman: Rescuing a Distressed Trader Before BankruptcyA guide to restructuring under the Bankruptcy Law RD 53/2019: eligibility conditions, the stay of bankruptcy petitions, the debtor remaining in control of the business, and the settlement plan with creditors.Landlord and Tenant Rights in Omani Law: Maintenance, Eviction and TerminationLease rules in Oman's Civil Transactions Law RD 29/2013: the landlord's maintenance and defect warranties, the tenant's duties, tacit renewal, and how lease contracts end.Limitation Periods in Omani Law: When Does Time Bar Your Claim?Time bars under Oman's Civil Transactions Law RD 29/2013: the general 15-year rule, five years for tort claims and professional fees, one year for sale defect claims, and how time is interrupted.Personal Guarantees in Omani Law: What Does Guaranteeing a Debtor Mean?Suretyship under Oman's Civil Transactions Law RD 29/2013: when the creditor can pursue the guarantor, the right to exhaust the debtor first, discharge by the creditor's neglect, and recourse after payment.Buying Property in Oman: The Contract, Registration and Buyer ProtectionsWhat to know before buying property in Oman: sale rules in Civil Transactions Law RD 29/2013, registration under Real Estate Registry Law RD 56/2026, earnest money and defect claims.Commercial Agencies in Oman: Registration, Rights and TerminationCommercial agency in Oman under Commercial Agencies Law RD 26/77 as amended and Commercial Law RD 55/90: who may act as agent, registering the agency, and each party's rights on termination.Bounced Cheques in Oman: The Penalty and How to Recover the AmountThe penalty for a cheque without funds in Oman under Article 356 of Penal Code RD 7/2018: up to two years' imprisonment, a court order for the cheque amount, and the criminal and civil routes.Business Distress in Oman: Restructuring, Protective Composition and BankruptcyA distressed trader's options in Oman under Bankruptcy Law RD 53/2019: who may seek restructuring, its freeze on bankruptcy petitions, protective composition, bankruptcy, and creditors' positions.Electronic Contracting in Oman: Are Your Messages Legally Binding?The legal force of electronic contracts and signatures in Oman under Electronic Transactions Law RD 69/2008: when messages form a contract, protected e-signatures, and consumer sales.Company Liquidation in Oman: Grounds, Procedure and Time LimitsHow a company is dissolved and liquidated in Oman under Commercial Companies Law RD 18/2019: grounds for dissolution, appointing the liquidator, the 180-day creditor window, and the three-year cap.Setting Up a Limited Liability Company in Oman: Procedure and ObligationsHow to form an LLC in Oman under Commercial Companies Law RD 18/2019: registration deadlines, the partners register, the one-person company, and post-formation duties.Company Manager Liability in Omani Law: Powers and AccountabilityWhen is an LLC manager in Oman personally liable? Managers' powers, prohibited acts, conflicts of interest and liability claims under Commercial Companies Law RD 18/2019.Minority Partner Rights in Omani Companies: How to Protect YourselfA partner's rights in an Omani LLC under Commercial Companies Law RD 18/2019: inspecting documents, forcing a partners assembly, pre-emption over shares, and judicial dissolution.Challenging Criminal Judgments in Oman: Appeal and Cassation DeadlinesA guide to challenging criminal judgments in Oman under the Law of Criminal Procedure RD 97/99: the thirty-day appeal window, and the forty-day challenge before the Supreme Court and its grounds.Claiming Compensation Within a Criminal Case in OmanA guide for crime victims in Oman on claiming damages inside the criminal case under the Law of Criminal Procedure RD 97/99 and the Civil Transactions Law RD 29/2013: conditions, advantages, and alternatives of the civil claim.How to File a Criminal Report or Complaint in OmanA guide to filing criminal reports and complaints in Oman under the Law of Criminal Procedure RD 97/99: where to file, the three-month complaint window, waiver, and the investigation before the Public Prosecution.Pre-Trial Detention in Oman: Conditions and How to Challenge ItA guide to pre-trial detention in Oman under the Law of Criminal Procedure RD 97/99: when an accused may be remanded, their rights, challenging detention and requesting release, and deducting the period from the sentence.Maintenance (Nafaqa) in Oman: Types, Assessment, and EnforcementA guide to maintenance in Oman under the Personal Status Law RD 32/97: spousal, child, and parental maintenance, how courts assess it, the maintenance lawsuit, and enforcing judgments against defaulters.Inheritance in Oman: Heirs, Procedures, and Dividing the EstateA guide to inheritance in Oman under the Personal Status Law RD 32/97: who inherits, the succession certificate, inventorying and settling the estate's debts, and dividing it by agreement or through the courts.Marriage and Its Registration in Oman: Conditions and ProceduresA guide to concluding and registering marriage in Oman under the Personal Status Law RD 32/97: the elements of the contract, registration before the competent authorities, and marriages involving foreigners and residents.Wills in Oman: The Rules and Expatriate EstatesA guide to wills in Oman under the Personal Status Law RD 32/97: the one-third limit, bequests to heirs, proving and registering a will, and the position of non-Muslim residents and their assets in the Sultanate.Foreign Ownership of Companies in Oman: Is 100% Ownership Possible?Foreign investment rules in Oman under Foreign Capital Investment Law RD 50/2019: full project ownership, licensing, the prohibited activities list, and the applicable law.Investment Incentives in Oman: Land, Exemptions and the Single ApprovalIncentives for investment projects in Oman under RD 50/2019: long-lease and usufruct land allocation, tax and customs exemptions, and the single approval for strategic projects.Foreign Investor Guarantees in Oman: Protection from Confiscation and Free TransfersLegal guarantees for foreign investment in Oman under RD 50/2019: no confiscation without a court judgment, expropriation only for public benefit with fair compensation, and free transfer of returns abroad.Foreign Investment Violations in Oman: Sanctions and AppealsWhat happens when the Foreign Capital Investment Law RD 50/2019 is breached: notice and cure periods, graduated sanctions, the fine for unlicensed investment, and the grievance committee's deadlines.Copyright in Oman: Protecting Works and SoftwareA guide to copyright in Oman under the Copyright and Related Rights Law RD 65/2008: protected works including software and databases, moral and economic rights, and confronting infringement.Trademark Protection in Oman: Registration and InfringementA guide to trademark protection in Oman under the Industrial Property Rights Law RD 67/2008: registration and its renewable ten-year term, cancellation of registration, and confronting counterfeiting and infringement.Leave Entitlements Under the Omani Labour Law: Annual, Sick and Special LeaveLeave in Oman under Labour Law RD 53/2023: 30 days' annual leave, 182 days' sick leave on a sliding scale, plus maternity, paternity, marriage, bereavement and Hajj leave.Non-Compete Clauses After Leaving a Job in Oman: When Are They Binding?When is a non-compete clause enforceable in Oman? The limits of Article 69 of Labour Law RD 53/2023: time, place and type of work, and when the employer loses the right to rely on it.Probation Periods Under the Omani Labour Law: Your Rights During and AfterProbation in Oman under Article 37 of Labour Law RD 53/2023: the maximum length, the one-probation rule, counting probation towards service, and how termination works.Terminating an Employment Contract in Oman: When Is Dismissal Lawful?When can an employer end an employment contract in Oman? Notice rules, summary dismissal, and lawful termination grounds under Articles 38, 40 and 43 of Labour Law RD 53/2023.Challenging Civil Judgments in Oman: Appeal and the Supreme CourtA guide to challenging civil judgments in Oman under the Law of Civil and Commercial Procedure RD 29/2002: when challenge periods start and pause, cross-appeals, petitions for reconsideration, and the requirements of a Supreme Court challenge.Filing a Civil Lawsuit in Oman Step by StepA guide to filing a civil lawsuit in Oman under the Law of Civil and Commercial Procedure RD 29/2002: the statement of claim and its attachments, appearance periods, the settlement offer, and the hearings through to judgment.Enforcing Judgments in Oman: The Execution Judge and AttachmentA guide to enforcing judgments in Oman under the Law of Civil and Commercial Procedure RD 29/2002: the executory copy, the execution judge's jurisdiction, attachment of assets, and execution disputes.Payment Orders in Oman: The Fastest Route for a Written DebtA guide to payment orders in Oman under the Law of Civil and Commercial Procedure RD 29/2002: when the route is available, obtaining and serving the order, and the debtor's fifteen-day objection.Damaged Sea Cargo: How to Claim Against the Carrier in OmanClaiming for damage, shortage or delay to sea cargo under Oman's Maritime Law RD 19/2023: reservations on delivery, proving the loss, the bill of lading's role, and arbitration clauses.Seafarers' Rights and the Maritime Employment Contract in OmanCrew rights in Oman: the maritime employment contract under Maritime Law RD 19/2023, the crew wage lien over the ship, repatriation, and the umbrella of Labour Law RD 53/2023.Ship Arrest in Oman: How to Stop Your Debtor's VesselPrecautionary arrest of ships in Oman under Maritime Law RD 19/2023 and the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law RD 29/2002: the maritime debts that justify arrest, the procedure, and security for release.Ship Registration in Oman: Why and How to Fly the Omani FlagRegistering ships under the Omani flag under the Maritime Law issued by Royal Decree 19/2023: the effect of registration, recording maritime mortgages, the competent authority and documents.Bounced Cheques in Oman: The Penalty and the Effect of PaymentA guide to cheque offences in Oman under the Penal Code RD 7/2018: the penalty for a cheque without funds, the complaint requirement, and how payment or waiver ends the case or stops the sentence.Insult and Defamation in Oman: Penalties and Lawful ExceptionsA guide to insult and defamation offences in Oman under the Penal Code RD 7/2018: the penalty for non-public insult, aggravation for publication or against public officials, and the lawful exceptions such as good-faith reporting.Fraud and Breach of Trust in Oman: The Difference and the PenaltiesA guide to fraud and breach of trust in Oman under the Penal Code RD 7/2018: the elements of each offence, the penalties, and how they differ from a civil debt dispute.Theft Penalties in Oman: Degrees and Aggravating CircumstancesA guide to theft penalties in Oman under the Penal Code RD 7/2018: simple and aggravated theft, theft by coercion or at night, attempt, and family thefts requiring a complaint.Commercial Arbitration in Oman: The Basics and Enforcing the AwardA plain guide to arbitration in Oman under the Law of Arbitration in Civil and Commercial Disputes RD 47/97: the arbitration clause, how proceedings run, the award's authority, and enforcing foreign awards.Commercial Contracts in Oman: Drafting, Proof and DisputesA practical guide to commercial contracts in Oman under the Law of Commerce RD 55/90 and Civil Transactions Law RD 29/2013: the essentials, the clauses that protect you, and how disputes are proved.Your Rights if Arrested in Oman: Detention, Defence and ReleaseA guide to the rights of the accused in Oman under the Law of Criminal Procedure RD 97/99 and the Basic Statute: detention periods, the right to a lawyer and to silence, and the presumption of innocence.Debt Recovery in Oman: Order of Payment, Claims and EnforcementHow to recover a debt in Oman under the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law RD 29/2002: the order of payment for an established debt, an ordinary claim, the bounced cheque, and enforcement.Labour Disputes in Oman: Unfair Dismissal, Claims and DeadlinesHow labour disputes are resolved in Oman under Labour Law RD 53/2023: settlement through the Ministry, unfair-dismissal claims, end-of-service entitlements, and the deadlines you must not miss.Traffic Accident Compensation in Oman: Your Rights and How to ClaimHow to claim compensation for a traffic accident in Oman under the Civil Transactions Law RD 29/2013: the police report, insurance, compensation for loss, and blood money in fatal accidents.Child Custody After Divorce in Oman: Ages, Conditions and How Courts DecideUnder Oman's Personal Status Law RD 32/97, a mother's custody runs to age 7 for boys and puberty for girls, and courts decide by the child's interest.How to Register a Company in Oman: Steps, Costs and RequirementsCompanies in Oman are registered online through the Oman Business Platform under Royal Decree 18/2019, with 100% foreign ownership allowed in most activities.Online Blackmail in Oman: Penalties and What to DoOnline blackmail in Oman carries 1 to 3 years in prison under RD 61/2026, more in serious cases. Do not pay, keep evidence, and report to the ROP.Divorce Procedure in Oman, Step by StepHow divorce works in Omani courts under Personal Status Law RD 32/97: filing, reconciliation, judgment, custody and maintenance, with notes for expats.End-of-Service Gratuity in Oman: How It Is CalculatedHow gratuity is calculated in Oman: one month's basic salary per year under Labour Law RD 53/2023, with the old formula for service before 31 July 2023.Lawyer Fees in Oman: How They Are Set, and Is the Consultation Free?Oman has no fixed tariff for lawyer fees. They are set by written agreement under Royal Decree 41/2024, and SIA's first consultation is free.