The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion in Oman has enacted stricter regulations concerning foreign investments. On 29 August 2024, Ministerial Decision No. 435/2024 was issued, introducing amendments to the existing Ministerial Decision No. 209/2020, which outlines business activities off-limits to foreign investors. As part of these changes, an additional 28 activities have been restricted, raising the total number of prohibited activities to 123.
Among the newly restricted activities are the production of handicrafts made from materials like wood, leather, silver, copper, and metal. Additionally, traditional handmade products such as cosmetics, perfumes, incense, pottery, and ceramics, as well as fishing tools, are now off-limits.
Other business areas now restricted to foreign investors include event and furniture hire, skincare services, the retail of drinking water and scrap materials in specialized stores, the sale of used vehicles, and the cultivation of plants for ornamental, planting, or seedling purposes. Furthermore, the list covers mobile cafés, freshwater aquaculture, public scribe services, mailbox rentals, Sanad service centres, the management of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) filling stations (used for cooking gas), grocery stores, and the collection of used batteries and oils.
