Monday 05 / May / 2025
Muscat: Ninety four per cent of all recorded crimes in Oman last year were minor offences, according to the Public Prosecution.
Despite the 0.1 per cent increase in cases recorded by the public prosecution, the majority of the crimes committed in 2018 were for minor offences, or misdemeanours. Other types of crimes such as felonies, infractions, and administrative complaints all decreased.
Felony crime in the Sultanate fell by 7 per cent while infractions (violations) decreased by 64 per cent. The Governorate of Muscat recorded the highest number of cases with 7,194 in total, however, 96 per cent of the cases reported in Muscat were misdemeanours.
Dr Ahmed bin Said Al Shukaily, Assistant Attorney General and spokesperson for the Public Prosecution, said: “Oman’s crime rate is significantly low compared to other countries. We all hope that this decrease continues, and this is a requirement and responsibility of everyone.”
Last year, the Public Prosecution recorded a 7 per cent increase in the number of offenders, in 2017 the authority recorded 34,629 while in 2018 it recorded 37,062.
Speaking to Times of Oman regarding the importance of the role the updated Omani penal code had on increasing the number of offenders, Sulaiman Al Marjabi, Chief Public Prosecutor said:
“In order to properly understand the readings of the statistics regarding the crimes, we must take into account if the law in 2017 was the same that was implemented in 2018. As you may know in 2018 a new Penal Code was issued. In the new law, there was an increase in the number of cases of criminalization, and there were crimes that did not exist in the previous law, and all these led to higher figures. Therefore, in order for us to have an accurate understanding of the rates of crimes being committed we must wait for the 2019 data.”
According to the Omani Penal Code, felonies are crimes punishable by the death sentence, life term, or temporary imprisonment of three to 15 years.
Misdemeanours are crimes punishable by imprisonment for a period no less than 10 ten days and not exceeding three years, and a fine no less than OMR100 and not exceeding OMR 1,000 or one of those two punishments.
Infractions are crimes punishable by imprisonment not exceeding 10 days, and a fine no less than OMR10 and not exceeding OMR100, or one of those two punishments. Expats accounted for 45%of all the offenders in 2018, according to the report issued by the public prosecution. Overall there were 16,607 expats offenders, of which 14,948 were male, 1,462 were female and 197 were juveniles.
Violating the Labour law was the most common crime committed by expats in 2018, with 2,217 cases, committed by 3,345 expats followed by violating residence law with 1,351 offenders.
Theft, bounced cheques, and drug-related crimes came third, fourth and fifth respectively of the most crimes committed by expats, with 1,310, 925, and 687 offenders respectively. Issuing cheques which bounced was the most common crime committed by Omanis, which recorded 4,715 cases, committed by 3,884 males and 237 females. Followed by drug-related crimes.
Speaking at the annual press conference Dr Ahmed bin Said Al Shukaily, Assistant Attorney General and spokesperson for the Public Prosecution said: “It is known that there is a link between the crime rate and population rate, and it is common for an increase of population to lead to an increase in crime. However, when the crime rate declines despite the increase in population, then the rate become an affirmation to the success of the criminal justice policy of the country.”
For the fourth consecutive year, the crime rate in Oman has been declining, according to the report by the public prosecution, in 2018 there were 27,672 cases brought to the Public Prosecution, which is only 14 cases less than the year before.
In 2016 however there were 37,793 cases recorded and 39,502 cases in 2015, while in 2014 there were a total 44,591 cases recorded by the Public Prosecution.
