Investment Law
Said Ibrahim Ambusaidi Advocates (SIA) in Muscat guides Omani and foreign investors across Oman: structuring the investment and establishing its entities, obtaining licences and approvals, drafting and reviewing project contracts, and litigating investment disputes, under the Foreign Capital Investment Law, Royal Decree 50/2019, and its complementary legislation.
What we handle
- Foreign investment structuring and establishing project entities
- Activity licensing and approvals before the competent authorities
- Drafting and reviewing investment project contracts
- Legal due diligence before acquisitions and partnerships
- Incentives and guarantees available to investment projects
- Investment disputes before the courts and in arbitration
How do we establish your investment in Oman?
We start from your target activity: we verify its position under the lists regulating foreign investment, choose the right legal form for the project entity under the Commercial Companies Law, Royal Decree 18/2019, and design the ownership structure in line with the Foreign Capital Investment Law, Royal Decree 50/2019, which opened many activities to foreign ownership.
Then we execute: company registration, sectoral licences and approvals, constitutive contracts and shareholder agreements, and review of the lease, supply, and operating contracts the project stands on. Our aim is for your venture to start on legal foundations whose gaps do not surprise you later.
What guarantees and rights does an investor have?
The Foreign Capital Investment Law, Royal Decree 50/2019, gives investment projects substantive guarantees: assets may not be expropriated except for the public benefit and against fair compensation in accordance with the law, and investors may transfer their project's returns abroad, alongside the incentives and exemptions the legislation grants to particular projects and zones.
We help you establish which of these apply to your specific project, draft your contracts to preserve those rights, and represent you before the competent authorities where an administrative decision affects your project unlawfully. Investment protection lies not in the text alone but in using it well.
How do we handle investment disputes?
Oman established the Court of Investment and Commerce by Royal Decree 35/2025 to decide investment and commercial disputes, bringing more specialisation to this litigation. We represent you before it and before the other judicial forums, from statement of claim to execution of judgment.
Many investment contracts refer disputes to arbitration; we represent you in those proceedings under the Law of Arbitration in Civil and Commercial Disputes, Royal Decree 47/97, and pursue enforcement of the award once issued. Before all that, we negotiate on your behalf for a settlement that preserves the project and its relationships whenever that serves your interest.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign investor fully own a project in Oman?
Yes, in many activities. The Foreign Capital Investment Law, Royal Decree 50/2019, allows foreign investors to carry on business and establish companies in Oman, and full foreign ownership is available across a wide range of activities, while specific activities remain prohibited or restricted under the regulating lists. We verify the position of your exact activity before any step, then handle incorporation and licensing.
Which forum hears investment disputes in Oman?
The Court of Investment and Commerce, established by Royal Decree 35/2025, decides investment and commercial disputes, with procedure governed by the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law, Royal Decree 29/2002. If your contract contains an arbitration clause, the dispute goes to an arbitral tribunal under the Arbitration Law, Royal Decree 47/97. We identify the competent forum for your dispute and represent you before it.
What does legal due diligence cover before an acquisition or partnership?
We examine the target from its foundations: valid incorporation, registrations and licences, ownership structure and any restrictions on its shares, material contracts, obligations and debts, pending claims by or against it, assets and the charges over them, and compliance with tax and labour obligations. You then receive a clear report on the risks and their effect on your decision, the deal structure, and the warranties you should require, before you sign.
How much does an investment lawyer cost in Muscat?
Fees depend on the scope: incorporation and licensing, due diligence, project contract drafting, or an investment dispute. We start with a free first consultation by phone or WhatsApp on +968 9706 3030 to understand your project and your need, then give you a clear written fee proposal before work begins, in Arabic or English. We serve investors across all governorates of Oman.
Your first consultation is free
Describe your matter on WhatsApp or by phone, and we will explain your legal position before any commitment.