Tuesday 06 / May / 2025
Muscat: The big news was, of course, people welcoming the return home of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to Oman from Germany after treatment. Stories like the plan to scrap No-Objection Certificates, and another story about a government online portal for workers to file complaints, were well received by readers.
Other stories celebrated heroic acts, such as the Omani man who pulled two children from a burning car in Sur.
The year also saw the Omani government chalk out its plans for a non-oil future: lifting the fuel subsidy, initiating Tanfeedh, and allowing 100 per cent ownership for foreign investors in Oman, in response to hard times.
Plan to scrap NOC
October 10
No Objection Certificates (NOCs) in Oman “will be removed,” a senior official from the Ministry of Manpower has said. “We will remove the NOC option. It will be removed. The plan is being seriously considered,” Said bin Nasser Al Saadi, the advisor to the Minister for Manpower, told Times of Oman in an exclusive interview.
Oman announces revised petrol, diesel price
January 11
The Oman government on Monday announced revised petrol and diesel prices, which will be effective from January 15, 2016. The super grade petrol will cost 160 baisas per litre (against the present price of 120 a litre), 140 baisas for regular grade petrol (against 114 baisas a litre) and 160 baisas for diesel per litre (against 146 baisas per litre), according to the Ministry of Oil and Gas official Twitter posting.
100 per cent ownership for foreign investors in Oman
January 27
Expatriates will be allowed to start a business without an Omani partner and no minimum capital requirement will be necessary, if a draft law prepared by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) is approved by the government.
Tanfeedh in Oman set to announce 120 proposals
November 16
Omanis and expatriates are invited to participate in a national survey when Tanfeedh, the National Programme for Enhancing Economic Diversification, will unveil more than 120 projects and initiatives in five sectors.
Omani hero pulls two children from burning car
August 26
An anonymous Omani man pulled two children from a burning car after it caught fire at a petrol station in Sur last week. The rescue of the two children from the car took place last Wednesday, an official from the fuel company said.
Oman accident: 18 killed, 16 injured in Ibri road crash
March 1
Eighteen people were killed and 16 suffered grave injuries in an early morning accident in Ibri, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) reported on Tuesday. Three vehicles, including a bus, a trailer and an SUV were involved in the accident..
Motorists be careful, new rules come into force from tomorrow in Oman
September 5
Royal Oman Police traffic officers are gearing up to apply new traffic laws - from September 6. An ROP spokesman said the force has everything in place for Tuesday, 30 days after the new laws were posted in the Sultanate’s official gazette, but would not give details about specific policing numbers on the beat.
Unhappy at work? Complain online in Oman
June 22
Omani and expat workers in Muscat can now submit labour complaints against their employers online to the Ministry of Manpower (MoM), which has opened a web portal on a trial basis. Currently, the service is available to workers registered with companies operating in Muscat, and the portal is in Arabic.
Oman tourism: Sheraton Hotel reopens in Muscat
October 13
The Sheraton Oman Hotel, a 14-storey tower which dominates the skyline in Muscat, re-opened its doors on Thursday morning, following a multi-million rial revamp. Owned by Al Hashar Hotels LLC, under the umbrella of the Al Hashar Group and in association with Twenty14 Holdings, the 230-room hotel has been a landmark in Muscat for more than three decades, ensuring guests can experience more in the heart of the city.
Port Sultan Qaboos waterfront to create 12,000 direct and 7,000 indirect jobs
January 4
Some 12,000 direct and 7,000 indirect jobs are expected to be created after the completion of an OMR500 million project that will transform Port Sultan Qaboos into the region’s primary waterfront destination.
GCC expats need to get e-visa before UAE visit: Oman Air
March 25
Oman’s national carrier has confirmed that GCC expatriates flying to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have to obtain an e-visa before boarding the aircraft from April 29. “The implementation date for the electronic visa required by all UAE airports will be April 29. This will be applicable to all airlines,” said Saleem Amanulla, Vice President, Airport Operations at Oman Air.
Blowtorch gang arrested for OMR1.4m gold heist in Oman
September 20
A gang of robbers who stole gold worth OMR1.4million from jewellers across Muscat have been arrested, according to the Royal Oman Police (ROP). The gang used blowtorches to gain access to stores before raiding them during night-time break-ins.
Oman health: Desperate patients ‘buying’ organs
March 28
Omanis desperate for kidney transplants are travelling abroad to buy black market organs and undergo illegal surgeries, say doctors, who warn they are putting their lives at risk. A shortage of donors and months of waiting for surgery in the Sultanate forces Omani patients to spend a minimum of OMR20,000 to purchase a kidney overseas, say medics, despite it being illegal across the globe.
Oman crime: ROP rescues 21 Thai sex workers
September 27
Men who consort with prostitutes should ‘stay away from these women’ and ‘remember their faith’ a police spokesman said, after raids in Muscat rescued a group of Thai women from the sex trade. Police also asked property owners to remain vigilant. Twenty-one Thai nationals were rescued from two brothels in Muscat, after joint raids by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and Thai policemen.
Royal Oman Police clarifies rule on family joining visa
February 4
Expatriates who want to work in the Sultanate can apply for family-joining visas if they fulfil certain criteria, especially if the expatriate is working as a doctor, engineer or lawyer, or anything fitting that range of work, as well as technical jobs, such as mechanics and electricians, Brigadier Hilal Al Busaidi, Director General of Passport and Residences, said in a statement. However, the expatriate’s salary must not be less than OMR600.
Abandoned child’s smile wins Oman’s heart
April 19
Phones at the Ministry of Social Development Child Affairs Department have not stopped ringing for the last three days, as hundreds of families have come forward to foster the two-year-old abandoned girl, who is being called Dana (Pearl).
