Oman: Court Takes Action Against Driving School

Oman Observer, 22 August 2022: The Souhar Court of First Instance has charged a driving school for failing to provide its services properly.

The driving school owner has been sentenced to two months in jail and ordered to pay a fine of 100 Rials. The Directorate General of the Consumer Protection Authority in Souhar had received a complaint from a pupil at the school. She had been assigned an instructor who had died. The school did not provide her with an alternative and refused to refund her what she had paid. This was an offence under Oman Sultani Decree No. 66/2014.

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Oman: Quality Standards in Hotels and Tourist Establishments Notice Issued

Times of Oman, 18 August 2022: Oman’s Heritage and Tourism Ministry has issued a notice to all hotel and tourist establishments in the Sultanate to prepare their facilities in line with specified quality standards.

The standards cover quality, cleanliness, service level and customer satisfaction.

They were issued in line with the Tourism Law and the Implementing Regulations to the Law.

From 1 October this year, the Ministry will conduct inspections to ensure compliance.

Offenders will be prosecuted.

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Oman: Incorrect Weather Forecasters to be Fined

Times of Oman, 8 August 2022: Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority has announced that incorrect weather forecasters will be fined.

Institutions and individuals should not publish unauthorised forecasts and warnings during weather which affects the Sultanate.

Those who do violate Article 30 of the Civil Aviation Law could be jailed for up to three years and/or fined between 15,000 and 50,000 Rials.

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Oman: Hotel Regulations Amended

Times of Oman, 1 August 2022: Oman’s Heritage and Tourism Ministry has announced it has amended the construction of hotel establishments regulation.

The amendments relate to the controls for establishing hotels to ensure greater compliance with classification and quality standards and the rules specified in the Implementing Regulations to the Tourism Law on the organisation of hotel and tourist establishments.

The amendments will apply to all new orders to set up hotel establishments.

The amendments have been approved to improve standards and support the sector’s development in the Sultanate.

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Oman: Household Business Activities Decision Issued

Times of Oman, 24 July 2022: Oman’s Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion Ministry has issued a Ministerial Decision promulgating a regulation on making homemade business products.

Oman Ministerial Decision No. 473/2022 streamlines and legalises the activities of owners of household business activities undertaken by citizens to generate income, protect the rights of sellers and buyers and secure customer confidence in commercial transactions in the Sultanate and abroad.

The Decision bans any home-based business from being practised before the individual, or the family obtains a licence from the Ministry and the relevant authorities.

Everyone who engages in a home business activity must correct their status within six months from the date of their work.

To obtain a licence, the applicant must be an Omani national; the applicant should be at least 18, not have another licence to practice any commercial, professional, craft or industrial activity and pay the relevant fee.

Along with the licence application, the applicant should submit the title deed of the house where the activity is carried out, the lease contract, or the homeowner’s approval where the house is rented and their ID card or passport. They should also submit details of the home production work to be licenced.

The licence will be issued for three years and cost three Rials. The licence may be renewed for similar periods. The same procedures and conditions will apply.

The renewal application must be submitted 30 days before the expiry of the licence period.

The licensee must comply with the legislation regulating the licensed domestic production activity and the regulations governing the licensed activity from the relevant authority. They will also have to be familiar with practising licensed home business and not employ foreigners.

In addition, they should not assign the licence to others, even temporarily, and not place any advertising or promotional billboards on the house or external walls. A small board can be placed at the house entrance showing the licensee’s name, the licence number, the type of activity, and the phrase home business provided its area does not exceed 30cm x 60cm and the board must be flat.

They should not store any goods, equipment or machines outside the house or any toxic, dangerous or flammable materials or any other materials which may cause harm to public health in the place of activity.

The licensee cannot practice the activity after the licence has expired or in a place other than where it is licenced to work.

An administrative fine of 100 Rials will be imposed on licensees who violate the Decision. The penalty will only be set after the relevant authorities have issued a written warning of the reasons for the violation and given three days to remove it. The fine will be doubled for repeat violations.

Where the violation is not corrected, the Ministry can suspend the licence for up to three months. The Ministry may cancel the licence after this period has expired without the violation being removed.

The licensee may appeal the penalties under the Decision to the Minister within 60 days from the date of their notification of it.

The grievance will on within 30 days from the date of its submission, and the lapse of this date without a response will be considered a rejection.

In all instances, the refusal decision must be justified.

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Oman: Notary Public Law Amended

Atheer, 28 June 2022: Oman’s Sultan has issued four Sultani Decrees, including Oman Sultani Decree No. 53/2022, on the General Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones and the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates.

Under Article 1, the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates will be transferred to the General Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones. The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates will exercise the competencies related to the operation of industrial zones.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones will issue the necessary decisions to implement the Decree. Anything which contradicts or contravenes it will be repealed. It will be published in the Official Gazette and come into force on the day it is published.

They also issued Oman Sultani Decree No. 51/2022 amending the Notary Public Law. Anything which contradicts or contravenes it will be repealed. It will be published in the Official Gazette and come into force on the day after it is published.

In addition, they issued Oman Sultani Decree No. 52/2022 amending the Documents and Archives Law. Anything which contradicts or contravenes it will be repealed. It will be published in the Official Gazette and come into force on the day after it is published.

Finally, they issued Oman Sultani Decree No. 54/2022 establishing the National Natural Park Reserve in the Musandam Governorate. A Natural National Park in Musandam Governorate will be established and the specified area and map will be allocated to it. Anything which contradicts or contravenes it will be repealed. It will be published in the Official Gazette and come into force on the day after it is published.

For full story, click here.

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Oman: Details of Securities Law Published

Alroya, 20 June 2022: The new Securities Law has been published in the Omani Official Gazette.

Oman Sultani Decree No. 46/2022 aims to ensure fair, competitive and transparent regulation, support and encourage SMEs by regulating the access of these institutions to funding from the public.

It also aims to protect the interests of dealers, as well as ensure the integrity and efficiency of the stock market and achieve justice and transparency in the transactions that take place through it.

Article 34 of Oman Sultani Decree No. 46/2022 states it is illegal to carry out any harmful practices, which are dealing or inducing others to deal based on undisclosed internal information, as well as not disclosing any material information about a security that the law requires disclosure, as well as the misuse of undisclosed or confidential inside information to achieve personal goals or gains for others and publishing or giving incorrect or misleading information or data which may affect the price of any security or the reputation of any issuer or the investment decision of any dealer.

It is also illegal to tamper with any security by giving bogus orders or initiating an improper transaction. In addition, it is illegal to trade or allow the trading of securities without the periodic settlement of the related obligations in line with the regulations. For full story, click here.

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Oman: New Regulations on Car Shades

Oman Daily Observer, 14 June 2022: The Minister of State and Governor of Muscat has issued Resolution No. 134/2022 regulating parking shades outside residential buildings in the Governate.

The new regulations will come into effect as soon as they are published in the Official Gazette. They are based on Oman Sultani Decree No. 101/2020 and Oman Local Order No. 23/1992. They state that vehicle shades cannot be erected outside the boundaries of a residential building without first obtaining permission from the civic authority. Vehicle shades cannot be erected at all outside residential buildings in certain areas including the Al Sarooj area or streets specified in Annex 1 to the regulation or main streets of over 30 meters or double streets. They can only be erected if they leave a distance of at least one meter between the edge of the shade and the street. In addition, the height of the canopy should not exceed 2.4 meters from the lowest part of the interior of the canopy to the parking floor or 3m to the highest part of the canopy.

The Regulations also specify the material canopies should be made from and their colours.

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Oman: Mining Law Executive Regulations Amended

Atheer, 5 June 2022: The Minister of Energy and Minerals has issued Oman Ministerial Resolution No. 42/2022 amending some provisions of the Executive Regulations of the Mining Law.

Under article 2, everything that contradicts the attached amendments, or contradicts their provision will be cancelled.

The decision was based on the Mineral Resources Law issued by Oman Sultani Decree No. 19/2019, and Oman Sultani Decree No. 96/2020 amending the name of the Ministry of Oil and Gas to the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, defining its terms of reference and approving its organisational structure. The executive regulations of the mining law were issued by Oman Ministerial Resolution No. 77/2010.

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