Muscat – The Social Protection Fund (SPF) has introduced a key amendment to pension regulations, stipulating that the old-age pension will only become payable after an insured person’s service has ended, even if they have already reached the statutory retirement age.

The amendment was issued under Decision No R/12/2026 by H E Salim bin Nasser bin Said Al Aufi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SPF and Minister of Energy and Minerals.

Under the revised provisions of the Executive Regulations of SPF Law, an insured person becomes entitled to an old-age pension upon reaching the prescribed age of senior citizens, provided that his or her employment or service has ended. If the individual continues working beyond that age, pension payments will commence only from the date service terminates.

The amendment is aimed at clarifying pension entitlement rules within Oman’s evolving social protection framework and is part of broader efforts to streamline retirement benefit regulations.

In a related development, SPF also issued Decision No R/11/2026, setting the effective date for the completion of the transfer of assets from several government pension funds to the Social Protection Fund.

According to the decision, the date the regulation comes into force (June 22) will be considered the official date for completing the transfer of ownership of assets from seven pension funds, namely the Civil Service Employees Pension Fund, Royal Oman Police Pension Fund, Royal Guard of Oman Pension Fund, Sultan’s Special Force Pension Fund, Internal Security Service Pension Fund, Royal Office Pension Fund and Diwan of Royal Court Employees Pension Fund.

The transfer marks another milestone in Oman’s social protection reform programme, which seeks to unify pension and social insurance systems under a single framework managed by SPF, enhancing governance, efficiency and long-term sustainability of retirement benefits.