Oman has taken a major step toward opening its property market, passing a new Real Estate Registry Law that, for the first time, allows non-Omanis, foreign companies, and other legal entities to own property nationwide. The reform is paired with a new sponsor-free residence permit for property owners, marking one of the most significant shifts in the Sultanate’s investment landscape in years.

What’s Changed

Previously, foreign ownership in Oman was largely confined to designated tourism developments under the Integrated Tourism Complex framework. The new law removes that geographic limitation, subject to executive regulations still to be published, and puts registered title on a modern legal footing – recognising electronic records and digital contracts with the same force as paper deeds.

Notably, the law also covers preliminary registrations for off-plan units and land still under development, meaning buyers don’t have to wait for a completed, fully registered property to qualify.

Alongside the ownership reform, Oman’s Royal Police issued Decision No. 87/2026, creating a new “Owner” residence permit. It’s a lighter-weight option than Oman’s existing Golden and Silver Investor Residency tracks: it runs in renewable six-month to one-year cycles, carries no minimum investment threshold, and ties the holder’s – and their immediate family’s – right to remain in Oman directly to continued ownership of the property. It sits alongside, rather than replaces, the five- and ten-year Investor Residency permits, which still require substantially larger investments (from roughly US$650,000 to US$1.3 million) but come with broader privileges, including GCC-wide travel, sponsorship rights, and business ownership.

The law also broadens who can act as a sponsor for a foreign resident, adding foreign property owners and licensed foreign investors to a list that previously centred on Omani and GCC nationals.

Knightsbridge Group’s View

We see this as a considered, structural move rather than a reactive one. Oman has watched its Gulf neighbours – the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar – open up property and residency access over the past several years, and has taken a deliberate, later approach that lets it design a more durable framework rather than compete on headline numbers alone.

“What stands out to us isn’t the residence permit itself – it’s the registry infrastructure underneath it,” said Mark Cameron, CEO of Knightsbridge Group. “Serious capital doesn’t move for the lowest entry threshold. It moves for certainty: clear title, enforceable digital contracts, and a legal system that will actually stand behind what’s on the deed. That’s what this law is really building, and it’s a stronger long-term signal than a residency permit on its own.”

Cameron also pointed to Oman’s broader positioning within the Gulf. “Oman isn’t trying to out-compete the UAE on scale, and it shouldn’t. Political stability, a slower pace of life, and comparatively fast visa processing are real differentiators for a certain kind of buyer – people who’ve already done the high-density, high-yield play elsewhere in the region and are now looking for something calmer to hold alongside it.”

He noted one caveat worth flagging to clients: Oman is set to become the first GCC state to introduce personal income tax, from 2028. “It doesn’t change the near-term case for ownership or residency, but it’s a detail we’ll want every client to go in with their eyes open about, particularly those weighing Oman against zero-income-tax neighbours on a long time horizon.”

Who Should Be Paying Attention

In our assessment, three groups stand to benefit most in the near term:

Existing expatriates in Oman, who can now convert years of renting and sponsor-dependent residency into outright ownership and independent residence rights for their families.
GCC-based investors and family offices looking to diversify holdings into a jurisdiction with a newly modernised, internationally legible title system.
Buyers priced out of, or simply looking beyond, the UAE and Saudi markets, for whom Oman’s lower entry point and calmer positioning may be the more attractive fit.

As with any newly announced framework, the real test will be in the executive regulations still to come. Knightsbridge Group will continue to track the rollout and will issue a further update once the implementing detail is published.

This update reflects information available as of early July 2026 and is provided for informational purposes only. It should not be relied upon as legal or investment advice. Prospective buyers should seek independent legal counsel in Oman before making any commitments.