Muscat – The Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) on Sunday issued the Executive Regulations of the Special Economic Zones and Free Zones Law, completing the legislative and regulatory framework established by the law promulgated by Royal Decree No 38/2025.

The move aims to reinforce the Government of Oman’s efforts to strengthen the investment environment, enhance the competitiveness of Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, and make them more attractive for attracting and localising high-quality and strategic projects.

Regulation No. 81/2026 represents a key milestone in translating the principles and provisions of the Law into a clearer implementation framework.

H E Qais Mohammed Al Yousef, Chairman of OPAZ, affirmed that the issuance of the Executive Regulations is an important step in completing what the Special Economic Zones and Free Zones Law set out to achieve in developing and unifying the legislative framework governing investment in Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, enhancing guarantees and regulatory clarity, and facilitating procedures.

He said the Authority views legislation as a tool for improving the investor experience and raising the efficiency of the business environment, noting that the Regulations translate a number of the principles established by the Law into practical procedures built around simplifying the investor journey, strengthening the role of the One-Stop Shop, leveraging digital transformation, granting strategic projects greater flexibility, and preparing the regulatory environment for new and future economic sectors.

H E Al Yousef explained that the Executive Regulations are an important step in preparing a more flexible framework for strategic projects by setting clear criteria that enable these projects to be dealt with according to their nature and impact on the national economy. This framework strengthens the ability to respond to the needs of high-quality projects and offer them suitable facilitations, contributing to faster procedures and greater certainty for investors, and enhancing the attractiveness of the Sultanate of Oman’s investment environment for value-added projects, in line with national priorities, plans and strategies.

He affirmed that clear regulatory frameworks for strategic projects support the Sultanate of Oman’s ability to attract high-quality local and foreign investment and help consolidate its standing as an attractive destination for projects with economic impact, supporting the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 in diversifying the economy, enhancing the competitiveness of the business environment, and attracting value-added investment.

The Regulations consolidate the role of the One-Stop Shop as the main channel for delivering services to investors, extending the Law’s provision that all services required by projects be provided through it, and that procedures for issuing approvals, permits, licences and certificates relating to the conduct of economic activities be facilitated and simplified.

The Regulations provide for submitting applications for land and property allocation, licences, approvals, permits and certificates through the One-Stop Shop, linking it electronically to the systems of relevant entities, alongside activating e-payment channels, integrating data and systems, and protecting the confidentiality of investors’ information and data.

Among the most notable provisions of the Regulations aimed at simplifying the investment environment is the ability to issue licences automatically through the One-Stop Shop following automated verification that the data, documents and approved requirements have been met, together with automatic licence renewal where the licensee’s data is up to date and meets the prescribed conditions.

The Regulations also set clear timeframes for deciding on a number of applications and transactions, and regulate the provision of reasons for rejection decisions and grievances against them in the cases stipulated, enhancing transparency and clarity in regulatory procedures. It also complete the provisions introduced by the Law to regulate real estate development projects in Special Economic Zones, which are an important addition to economic activities in these zones.

The Regulations regulate the licensing of real estate development projects, off-plan sales and freehold ownership of real estate units by non-Omanis in projects to which the prescribed provisions apply, in addition to regulating escrow accounts and the financial controls associated with protecting buyers’ rights.

The Regulations strengthen the protection of buyers’ funds by regulating escrow account requirements for real estate development projects, ensuring that appropriate financial and technical requirements are in place before units are marketed or advertised for sale. They also regulate permitted disbursements from escrow accounts so that funds are directed to their intended purposes and buyers’ rights are preserved.