The Ministry of Labor in Oman announced new regulations for the hiring of non-Omani workers through Ministerial Decision No. 390/2026. These regulations, based on the Labor Law issued under Royal Decree No. 53/2023, set new requirements and responsibilities for recruitment offices and employers. This decision revokes previous regulations issued under Ministerial Decision No. 1/2011 and will take effect on January 1, 2027.
Conditions and Requirements for Recruitment Offices
According to Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Zadjali, head of the Mohammed Ibrahim Legal Institute, obtaining a license from the Ministry of Labor for recruitment offices is mandatory. Eligibility conditions include that the owner, partners, and authorized signatories must be Omani, registration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization must be completed, and a financial guarantee of 5,000 Omani Rials must be provided. Recruitment offices must meet specific conditions for the location and accommodation of workers.
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Hiring Regulations and Responsibilities
Authorized offices must use specific forms for job offers and service contracts. They are required to provide personal information, skills, and experience of workers to employers and conduct pre-entry medical examinations. Additionally, they must provide insurance coverage for each service contract and use foreign agencies approved by diplomatic missions in Oman. Hiring from countries without diplomatic representation in Oman requires coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Oman Police. Recruitment offices must not charge any fees or costs from hired workers for recruitment or employment and must not retain workers' passports or official documents without their written consent.
Worker hiring requirements must be fulfilled within 45 days from the date of the service contract, unless a shorter period is agreed upon. In specific circumstances, offices are obligated to refund employers or, if agreed in writing, provide replacement workers. The right to request a refund is forfeited in certain cases, including employer fraud regarding working conditions, non-payment of wages for more than two consecutive months or three non-consecutive months in a year, and harassment or violence against the worker.
Under the specified contracts, the service guarantee period for domestic workers and their equivalents is two years, and for workers hired in institutions, it is 90 days. Temporary work permits are valid for 180 days and are not renewable.
Non-compliance with the regulations may result in warnings, administrative fines, suspension, or revocation of licenses, without prejudice to criminal penalties under labor law. Existing licenses will remain valid until their expiration date, provided they are renewed in accordance with these regulations.
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