Restrictions for foreigners in Oman: property, business, jobs and areas you need to know

Oman is open to foreign residents, buyers and investors, but within clear limits. Knowing them saves you from deals that cannot be registered, businesses that cannot be licensed and simple misunderstandings in daily life. This guide sets out the main ones as of 2026.

Property: where you cannot own

• Outside designated areas. Foreigners can own only in Integrated Tourism Complexes, the new planned cities (Sultan Haitham City, Al Thuraya, Al Jabal Al Aali), approved neighbourhoods such as Surouh, and qualifying apartment buildings under usufruct. The Ministry of Housing confirmed in June 2026 that this has not changed.
• Restricted zones (Royal Decree 29/2018). Non-Omanis cannot own land or property near royal palaces and security or military sites, on islands, on strategic mountains such as Jebel Akhdar and Jebel Shams, in archaeological areas, and in listed border and coastal areas including parts of Dhofar, Musandam, Buraimi, Dhahirah, Al Wusta, Liwa, Shinas and Masirah.
• Undeveloped land. A plot bought in a tourism complex must be built within four years, or the ministry can reclaim it.
• Apartments outside ITCs. A minimum price (OMR 45,000 in Muscat), a minimum building height of four floors, a cap of 40% foreign-owned units per building and a four-year wait before resale.

Business: activities closed to foreigners

The Foreign Capital Investment Law allows 100% foreign ownership in most activities, but Ministerial Decision 209/2020 keeps a list of activities closed to foreign investors. It is mainly small-scale trades and services that the state wants to keep for Omani entrepreneurs, such as certain retail shops, small transport and some traditional crafts. Check the activity code on Invest Easy before you plan a company.

Jobs reserved for Omanis

More than 200 professions are reserved for Omani citizens, including many administrative, HR, clerical, sales and driving jobs, and the list is updated periodically. Companies must also meet Omanisation quotas by sector. Part-time work is limited to Omanis, and a residence permit that is not a work visa (for example a family or owner permit) does not by itself allow you to work.

Residency limits

• The 14-day visa-free stay cannot be extended or turned into residence.
• The owner residence permit lasts only as long as you own the property and ends when you sell.
• Residents who stay outside Oman for more than six months in a row can have their residence cancelled, unless they arranged it in advance.
• Overstaying a visa leads to daily fines and possibly a ban on re-entry.

Public life: the rules that surprise newcomers

• Alcohol is sold only in licensed hotels, restaurants and outlets; drinking in public and drunk driving are serious offences.
• Dress modestly in public places, with shoulders and knees covered; swimwear is for beaches and pools.
• Ramadan: eating, drinking and smoking in public during daylight are not allowed for anyone.
• Photography: do not photograph people, especially women, without permission, or government and military sites.
• Speech: criticising the Sultan, the state or religion, including online, is a criminal offence.
• Drones need a permit from the Civil Aviation Authority.
• Relationships and cohabitation outside marriage remain legally sensitive; public displays of affection should be avoided.

How R2LUX helps

Every project we sell is in an area where foreigners can register ownership, and we check the title type before you reserve. Below are three units available to foreign buyers today.