Oman

With Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, OBG outlines the key corporate, foreign investment, labour and property laws relevant to companies doing business locally in Oman. This includes an overview of Omani corporate law and the legal structures for doing business. The chapter also features a viewpoint with Bruce B Palmer, Managing Partner in Oman, Curtis, Mallet-Prevost.

With assistance from Abu Timam Grant Thornton, this chapter provides an outline of the new tax regulations issued at the start of 2012, as well as rules for the establishment of foreign companies in Oman. Information is provided about tax rates, filing requirements, deductable expenses and more. The chapter also includes a viewpoint with Nasser Said Al Mughairy, Managing Partner at Abu Timam...

While a significant portion of economic activity in Oman is concentrated in the capital and nearby surrounding areas, a number of other regions remain key drivers of economic growth. Moreover, these regions are playing an increasingly important role as the national economy matures and diversifies. For example, Sohar offers shipping firms a seaport south of the Strait of Hormuz, which reduces...

The tourism sector is enjoying increased attention. In 2012 it accounted for some 3% of GDP, saw growth of nearly 4% in the same year, and contributed to the creation of some 70,000 jobs in 2011. In the broader Middle East region, tourism job creation actually shrank by 0.6%. Going forward, the government’s priority is to diversify tourism offerings, via a number of initiatives to promote the...

The creation of a public education system capable of equipping Omanis for a modern economy has been at the centre of government policy for decades, and the private sector has thrived since the 1970s. Yet, more recently, the sector has seen a similar expansion of investment at the tertiary level, combined with an increasing amount of research activity. This new phase of expansion is underpinned by...

After many years of building up the transport system – and with over $11bn in the budget for hard infrastructure projects during the 2011-2015 period – the next few years promise significant transformation for Oman’s transport sector. A number of large-scale developments are in the pipeline, and a proposed new railway connecting Oman with other GCC countries is expected to create capacity for...