Over 1,500 land plots in Sultanate transferred to Omanis

Muscat: More than 1,500 land plots within the Sultanate have been transferred from non-Omanis owners to Omanis citizens in about 19 months, half of them in the Al Buraimi Governorate, according to government data.
Data issued by the Ministry of Housing shows that 1,514 plots of land and real estate owned by non-Omanis were transferred to Omani citizens from November 11, 2018 to June 30, 2020, in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 29/2018 prohibiting of non-Omani ownership of land and real estate in specified places.
The Ministry of Housing had issued a notice to the effect that November 19, 2020, is the deadline for transferring the ownership to Omani citizens.
Of that figure, the total number of land plots and real estate transferred in Al Buraimi governorate stood at 748, accounting for for about half of the lands and real estate transferred in the aforementioned period. Al Dhahirah Governorate came second with the transfer of 297 plots of land and real estate, followed by North Al Batinah with 228 and Musandam with 170. Similarly, 67 transfers took place in Al Wusta and 3 in Dhofar Governorate.
The Royal Decree 29/2018 prohibits non-Omanis from owning lands and real estate in some places.
Article 1 of the law stipulates: Without prejudice to the system of non-Omani ownership of real estate in the aforementioned integrated tourism complexes, non-Omanis are prohibited from owning land and real estate in all their uses in any of the following places :
1- Governorate of Dhofar except for the wilayas of Salalah, Musandam, Al Buraimi, Al Dhahirah, and Al Wusta.
2- The wilayats of Liwa, Shinas, and Masirah.
3- Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Jabal Shams, and any other mountains of strategic importance determined by the competent authorities.
4- Islands.
5- Sites close to palaces, security and military authorities, which are determined by the competent authorities.
6- The archaeological and old lanes, which are determined by the competent authorities.