His Majesty Issues Royal Decree Promulgating Social Protection Law

Muscat: His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik today issued Royal Decree No. 52/2023 promulgating the Social Protection Law, after presenting the same before the Council of Oman.

Article (1) stipulates that the provisions of the Social Protection Law attached to this decree shall be enforced.

Article (2) instructs the Chairman of Board of Directors of the Social Protection Fund to issue the executive regulation of the law attached to this decree, within a period not exceeding 6 months from the date of issue of this decree, as well as the decisions necessary for the implementation of provisions of the law attached to this decree. Till such time, the existing regulations and decisions shall continue to be enforced without prejudice to the provisions of the law attached to this decree.

Article (3) replaces the text of Article 1 of Royal Decree No. 15/2021 with the following text: “The provisions of the Unified System attached to this decree shall be applied to extend insurance protection to military personnel who are citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states while they are working in any GCC member state other than their countries.”

Article (4) cancels all provisions of pensions, gratuities and allowances/grants stated in laws promulgated by Royal Decrees No. 26/86, Royal Decree No. 72/91 and Royal Decree No. 86/96, as well as laws and bylaws/systems issued under Royal Decree No. 86/82, Royal Decree No. 87/84, Royal Decree No. 49/98, Royal Decree No. 2/2000, Royal Decree No. 32/2000, Royal Decree No. 94/2000, Royal Decree No. 3/2002, Royal Decree No. 29/2003, Royal Decree No. 44/2013 and Royal Decree No. 82/2020.

This is in exclusion of the provisions related to gratuities and end-of-service allowances disbursed by employers (parties of employment).

Royal Decree No. 31/96 shall be deemed cancelled from the date of enforcement of the Investment Regulation issued vide the provisions of the law attached to this decree.

– Articles 2 and 4 of Royal Decree No. 15/2021 shall be deemed null and void. –

Article (5) cancels all that contradicts this decree or the law attached to it, as well as all that contravenes their provisions.

Article (6) says that this decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced on the first day of January 2024, except for the following:

1. Articles (72, 75, 76, 77, 83 and 84) of the law attached to this decree shall be enforced on the day following the date of the law’s publishing.

2. The provisions, from the attached law, of the clause on insurance against work-related injuries and occupational diseases befalling non-Omani workers shall be enforced after 3 years from the date of issue of this decree.

3. The 6th chapter of Part Three of the attached law shall be enforced after 2 years from the date of issue of this decree.

4. The 7th chapter of Part Three of the attached law shall be enforced after one year from the date of issue of this decree.

5. Clause 1 of Article 139 of the law attached to this decree shall be enforced from the date to be fixed by the Board of Directors of the Social Protection Fund, within a period of not more than 3 years from the date of issue of this decree.  – ONA