Part 1 – August 2026
Oman’s legislative and regulatory reform programme has gathered considerable momentum in 2026. The year has seen a series of significant laws and implementing regulations across financial services, technology, real estate, tourism, cybersecurity, urban planning, and dispute resolution.
Some of the year’s developments are noteworthy because they move previously initiated reforms into a more operational phase. The Personal Data Protection Law, for example, has moved beyond its extended transition period and into full enforcement. The Financial Services Authority has issued the long-awaited Executive Regulation of the Securities Law, while new legislation has established an International Financial Centre, an Artificial Intelligence Special Zone, a new Real Estate Registry framework and a new cybercrime regime.
For businesses, investors and professional advisers, the practical significance is therefore twofold. First, a number of immediate compliance obligations now require attention. Second, the architecture of Oman’s commercial environment is evolving in ways that may influence investment structures, financing, technology deployments, real estate projects and dispute-resolution strategies.
The main developments to monitor are set out below:
1. Personal Data Protection Law
Royal Decree No. 6/2022 and Ministerial Decision No. 34/2024
One of the most consequential compliance developments for businesses in Oman in 2026 is the transition of the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) from implementation into full enforcement.
The PDPL was enacted by Royal Decree No. 6/2022, with its Executive Regulations subsequently issued by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) under Ministerial Decision No. 34/2024 (PDPR). The regulatory framework addresses a broad range of data-protection matters, including the processing of personal data, consent and other lawful processing requirements, sensitive personal data, children’s data, data-subject rights, the appointment of Data Protection Officers (DPOs), records of processing, personal data breach notifications, cross-border transfers, processing permits, complaints and regulatory enforcement. The original compliance period under the PDPR was extended, but that extended transition period expired on 5 February 2026.
MTCIT has also published forms relating to processing permits, amendments and renewals, breach reporting, DPO appointments, processing records and cross-border transfer risk assessments.
The practical message for businesses is clear: PDPL compliance should now form part of ordinary corporate governance, contract management and operational risk processes.
2. Cybercrime Law
Royal Decree No. 61/2026
Oman has substantially revised its cybercrime framework through Royal Decree No. 61/2026, which issued a new Cybercrime Law (the “New Cybercrime Law”).
The New Cybercrime Law replaces the previous regime established under Royal Decree No. 12/2011. Its arrival is significant given the scale of change in digital technologies, electronic communications, online platforms and cyber-enabled conduct since the earlier legislation was enacted.
For businesses, the new framework should be considered alongside their existing cybersecurity and technology controls, particularly in relation to:
- corporate IT systems and cybersecurity;
- employee use of information systems;
- electronic communications and online platforms;
- online content;
- data-related offences; and
- other forms of cyber-enabled criminal conduct.
The significance of the new regime is amplified by its interaction with the PDPL and Oman’s wider digital-transformation and artificial-intelligence policies.
3. Artificial Intelligence Special Zone
Royal Decree No. 50/2026
Oman has taken a notable step towards positioning itself as a regional technology and artificial intelligence hub. Royal Decree No. 50/2026 established the Artificial Intelligence Special Zone in the Governorate of Muscat.
The decree establishes the zone as a special economic zone and provides that projects established in the zone will benefit from the incentives, advantages, exemptions and facilities available under Oman’s Law of Special Economic Zones and Free Zones. The zone is to be managed and developed under the supervision of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, in coordination with MTCIT.
The importance of the initiative extends beyond the creation of a dedicated location for technology businesses. It sits within a wider policy and regulatory ecosystem that includes Oman’s National AI Policy 2025 for the Safe and Ethical Use of AI Systems, the PDPL, the New Cybercrime Law and the country’s broader digital-transformation programme.
For investors and technology businesses, the AI Special Zone may therefore be relevant not only as an incentive-based investment destination, but also as part of Oman’s emerging framework for AI, advanced technology, data and digital infrastructure.
4. Executive Regulation of the Securities Law
FSA Decision No. E/11/2026
One of the most important financial-sector developments of 2026 is the issuance by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) of the long-awaited Executive Regulation of the Securities Law.
The underlying Securities Law was enacted by Royal Decree No. 46/2022, replacing the former Capital Market Law framework. In July 2026, the FSA issued Decision No. E/11/2026, issuing the Executive Regulation of the Securities Law (the “Securities Regulation”), which supplies much of the regulatory architecture required to give practical effect to the 2022 legislation.
Among other matters, the Securities Regulation addresses:
- capital market institutions and their licensing requirements;
- governance and compliance;
- market operators and securities activities;
- investment banking;
- collective investment schemes and investment funds;
- credit-rating agencies;
- market conduct, including insider trading and market manipulation;
- investor protection; and
- regulatory supervision and enforcement.
The new requirements are particularly relevant to, inter alia, financial services providers, investment banks, fund managers and listed companies.
5. International Financial Centre of Oman
Royal Decree No. 8/2026
Among the year’s most structurally significant developments is the establishment of the International Financial Centre of Oman (IFCO) under Royal Decree No. 8/2026. The Royal Decree establishes IFCO as an entity with legal personality and financial and administrative independence, reporting to the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs.
The initiative is intended to create a dedicated international financial centre capable of attracting international financial institutions, investment businesses and related professional-service providers.
The official announcement describes IFCO as an important component of Oman’s efforts to strengthen the financial sector and support economic diversification. In June 2026, a Board of Directors was appointed under the chairmanship of His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs. The announcement stated that IFCO’s regulatory and operational frameworks were being developed with a view to launch operations by the end of 2026.
6. New Real Estate Registry Law
Royal Decree No. 56/2026
Oman has embarked on a significant modernisation of its real-estate registration regime through Royal Decree No. 56/2026, which issued the new Law of the Real Estate Registry (the “New Real Estate Registry Law”) replacing the previous 1998 Law.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MoHUP) has described the legislation as a major step towards modernising and digitising Oman’s real-estate registration system.
Among the notable features of the new regime are:
- electronic authentication of real estate transactions;
- electronic title deeds;
- mandatory registration of primary and subsidiary real estate rights;
- registration mechanisms for off-plan developments; and
- mechanisms for registering property in the names of non-Omanis, companies and other legal entities, subject to applicable laws.
The New Real Estate Registry Law should be read together with the 2025 Law Regulating Real Estate (Royal Decree No. 79/2025). Jointly, these reforms point towards a more modern framework for property development, off-plan sales, real-estate investment, ownership registration, electronic title documentation and protection of real estate rights.
7. New Urban Planning Law
Royal Decree No. 58/2026
Royal Decree No. 58/2026 introduced a new Urban Planning Law (UPL), issued on 21 May 2026. The UPL establishes a new statutory framework for urban planning and is relevant to master planning, development planning, land use planning, infrastructure planning and the coordination of urban development with government land policies.
For developers and investors, the UPL is best understood as part of the wider real-estate reform programme and should be considered alongside the 2025 Law Regulating Real Estate and the New Real Estate Registry Law.
8. Tourism Regulation
Ministerial Decision No. 1152/2/1/141/2026
The tourism sector has also received a significant regulatory update. Ministerial Decision No. 1152/2/1/141/2026 issued the Executive Regulation of the Tourism Law (the “New Tourism Regulations”) in April 2026, replacing the previous regulatory framework.
The new framework introduces detailed licensing requirements for a range of activities, including tourist and hotel establishments, travel and tourism offices, tourist guides, adventure tourism, and business tourism. The express recognition of adventure tourism and business tourism as regulated and licensed activities is particularly notable. The New Tourism Regulations also introduce additional licensing and compliance procedures and provide transitional arrangements for businesses already holding tourism licences.
For operators and investors in the sector, the new regime implies the need for a review of existing licences, operating models and compliance procedures to ensure that activities are aligned with the updated regulatory framework.
9. Private-Sector Bribery
Royal Decree No. 66/2026
Royal Decree No. 66/2026 amended the Penal Law and the Labour Law by introducing the concept of bribery in the private sector.
The new provisions apply mainly to private sector companies and establishments whose headquarters are in Oman and criminalise, among other conduct:
- requesting or accepting a reward, or a promise of a reward, in connection with work duties;
- accepting a benefit in return for performing or refraining from performing an act;
- accepting a benefit to perform an act contrary to employment duties; and
- offering a benefit to an employer, board member or worker.
The penalties include imprisonment and fines linked to the amount of the bribe. The development is particularly relevant for companies with international operations, given the increasing intersection between Omani corporate compliance requirements and broader international anti-corruption regimes.
10. Accession to the Singapore Convention on Mediation
Royal Decree No. 6/2026
Royal Decree No. 6/2026 ratified Oman’s accession to the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, commonly known as the Singapore Convention on Mediation.
The development is significant because the Convention strengthens the international framework for the recognition and enforcement of settlement agreements resulting from mediation. This sits alongside Oman’s existing arbitration framework and contributes to the country’s broader effort to position itself as a jurisdiction supportive of international commercial dispute resolution.
2026 key themes
1. Digitalisation and technology
The full enforcement of the PDPL, the New Cybercrime Law, the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence Special Zone and continuing digital government initiatives collectively point towards a more comprehensive legal architecture for data, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
2. Financial services reform and internationalisation
The establishment of IFCO and the issuance of the Securities Regulation represent two complementary strands of the reform of the financial sector. IFCO is intended to provide a specialised platform for international financial activity, while the Securities Law and Securities Regulation provide a more complete regulatory framework for Oman’s domestic capital markets.
3. Real estate modernisation
The New Real Estate Registry Law and the UPL, read together with the 2025 Law Regulating Real Estate, represent a substantial restructuring of Oman’s real-estate environment.
5. Internationalisation of Oman’s legal infrastructure
The establishment of IFCO and Oman’s accession to the Singapore Convention on Mediation, alongside the wider programme of economic and regulatory reform, demonstrate a broader objective of making Oman’s legal and commercial environment increasingly compatible with international business and investment activity.
Conclusion
Oman’s legislative developments in 2026 are notable not merely for their number, but for their character.
For businesses, the immediate priorities include the practical implications of the PDPL’s full enforcement, the new Securities Regulation, the New Cybercrime Law, the New Real Estate Registry Law and the new private-sector bribery provisions. For investors and international businesses, the establishment of IFCO and the Artificial Intelligence Special Zone may prove equally significant over the longer term, particularly as their operational and regulatory frameworks develop.
Oman appears to be seeking to strengthen investor confidence, digitise government and commercial processes, modernise its financial markets, attract international capital and technology, reinforce corporate and regulatory compliance, and bring key elements of its legal infrastructure up to international standards.
