Sunday 05 / April / 2026
Muscat: All homes in Muscat should have fire alarms, the Sultanate’s Municipal Council recommended on Wednesday.
Read also: Family of 10 suffocates to death in Oman house fire
The recommendation was made during a meeting of the council that saw the issue of mandatory smoke alarms in homes and evacuation procedures within shopping malls dominate the agenda.
Speaking to the Times of Oman, Mahmood Al Shahwarzi, a member of the Municipal Council who proposed the new regulation, said, “I absolutely believe that fire alarms in homes would protect human lives. We want this to happen in the future and will work to protect lives, in the meantime, through awareness.”
The meeting was also attended by fire alarm manufacturers, specialists, and officials from PACDA and the Royal Oman Police (ROP).
Fire alarm manufacturers were also present at the meeting, as well as specialists from the PACDA and the ROP. According to Al Shahwarzi, they all agreed that fire alarms were the most effective way to prevent deaths and injuries from house fires.
“The attendees were very excited today, as we all agreed on this issue. Members of the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance had also recommended similar measures,” he added.
The proposed measures were discussed following the September 27 deaths of 10 people in a house fire in the Wilayat of Saham. Additionally, a child and woman were injured in two separate fires this week.
During the meeting, Eng. Muhammed Al Rashdi, Director of Building Permits at Muscat Municipality, highlighted current regulations, cooperation between the municipality and PACDA, as well as the challenges facing the mandatory installation of fire alarms in homes.
“We want fire alarms in houses, but until then we want newspapers, TV, and private entities to practice their social responsibility and try to help raise awareness about how fire alarms can save lives,” said Al Shahwarzi.
However, further steps are required before the council’s recommendations become law. “You must understand that legislation needs to come first. Our part in this is advisory, so there still remains work to be done,” noted Al Shahwarzi.
Also today, the Municipal Council agreed to recommend more training in commercial centre evacuations.
This came after a police officer was stabbed to death at a busy shopping mall in Oman.
“Can you imagine what would have happened if the person had decided to attack and kill more people? This is why we need those in authority to be trained in evacuations,” said Al Shahwarzi.
When contacted, a fire safety expert, said: “Fortunately, the number of incidents involving fires in homes are relatively low. This is due to the design and construction methods used in Oman for private dwellings which depend heavily on the use of reinforced concrete that reduces the amount of more combustible construction materials.
“As home owners or tenants, we can do many simple things to reduce the chance of fire and the resulting injuries, death and destruction it can cause. Installing battery operated smoke detectors provides a simple but effective way to warn occupants in the event of a fire. Ensuring that all electrical equipment is switched off when not required, especially before going to bed can reduce the number of domestic fires.”
