This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 MUSCAT 000068 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EB/IFD/OIA, NEA/ARPI 
DEPT PLEASE PASS USTR/JBUNTIN 
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/AMESA/OME/MTALAAT 
USDOC FOR ITA/ATAYLOR 
TREASURY FOR DO/GCHRISTOPOLUS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINV ECON KTDB MU
SUBJECT: 2005 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT FOR OMAN 
 
REF: 04 STATE 250356 
 
¶1. Following is the text of the 2005 Investment Climate 
Statement for the Sultanate of Oman. 
 
¶2. ECONOMIC OVERVIEW 
 
Oman's economy is based primarily on petroleum, which 
accounted for about 66.9 percent of government revenue by 
October of FY 2004.  Oman's proven recoverable oil 
reserves are estimated at 5.5 billion barrels. The main 
producer of oil is the government majority-owned 
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO, in partnership with 
Royal Dutch Shell), which controls 90 percent of reserves 
and the lion's share of total production. Oman's gas 
reserves stood at 30.3 trillion cubic feet (tcf) at the 
end of 2004, according to independent industry observers. 
Some analysts believe gas reserves can reach 40 tcf in 
the coming years, in light of efforts to encourage 
companies actively to explore for gas.  Oman's oil 
production throughout 2003 averaged 819,500 barrels per 
day (b/d), an 8.6% drop from the 2002 level of 897,400 
b/d.  By the end of October 2004, daily production 
averaged 781,400 b/d, a 5% drop compared to the same 
period of 2003.  Occidental Petroleum is the second 
largest producer in Oman, and its production is estimated 
at around 45,000 b/d. 
 
In 2003, the Omani government awarded a tender for the 
construction of a third liquefied natural gas (LNG) 
train, Qalhat LNG, to expand the existing Oman LNG plant 
in Sur.  Oman LNG began operations in April 2000 with two 
3.3 metric ton per annum (MTPA) LNG production trains for 
a total production rate of 6.6 MTPA. The expansion will 
bring the Oman's total production capacity to 9.9 MTPA 
and is expected to come online by 2006.  Off-take of much 
of the production from this plant has already been 
contracted to Spanish and Japanese buyers.  A September 
2004 agreement guaranteed a long-term natural gas supply 
from the government to Qalhat LNG and outlined the terms 
of an investment partnership between Oman LNG, Qalhat 
LNG, and the Spanish firm Union Fenosa.  In June 2003 
Oman LNG signed a six-year agreement with BP to supply 
twelve LNG shipments over six years, beginning in 2004. 
The Omani government is in the process of building its 
own fleet of LNG vessels to facilitate spot sales.  Two 
Korean-built vessels already operate under Omani flag to 
supply the Korean market with LNG.  In May 2003, Oman LNG 
awarded a tender to build an additional four LNG vessels, 
which are currently under construction in Japan and South 
Korea. 
 
The government encourages the private sector to take on a 
greater role in financing infrastructure projects.  The 
capital area and other population centers have modern, 
well-developed communications, utilities, and road 
systems.  Additional investment is extending this 
infrastructure to rural areas.  The long-term "Oman 
Vision 2020" development plan highlighted the need for 
the Omani economy to diversify beyond its present 
reliance on petroleum, through a process of Omanization, 
industrialization and privatization.  The government has 
proceeded with several major privatization projects, 
including power generation projects in Salalah, Barka, 
Rusayl, and the Sharqiya region.  In late 2001, a 
consortium led by the British Airport Authority became 
the strategic partner for Muscat's Seeb International 
Airport and Salalah Airport.  However, the consortium 
dissolved in November 2004 following disagreement with 
the government over delayed construction of new airport 
terminals.  Management of the airports has reverted to 
the government, and new airport expansion plans are 
underway.  The latest plan envisions a second runway and 
a new terminal with a 12 million passenger per annum 
capacity at Seeb International Airport by 2008, along 
with a new terminal capable of accommodating up to 2 
million passengers per annum in Salalah.  Other privately 
financed infrastructure projects include a petrochemical 
plant, a steel rolling mill, a fertilizer plant, and an 
aluminum smelter in Sohar. 
 
One of the most successful diversification projects thus 
far is Salalah Port, opened in 1998.  The container 
transshipment port was originally established jointly by 
private investors (40 percent), the Omani government (30 
percent), U.S. Sea-Land (15 percent), and Maersk (15 
percent); Maersk bought Sea-Land's share in mid-1999. 
The port handled more than 2.2 million TEUs in 2004, 
surpassing its 2004 target of two million TEUs.  Aside 
from being one of the largest in the region, Salalah Port 
ranks among the most efficient container ports in the 
world.  It is currently undergoing a major expansion 
plan, adding two new berths and extending its breakwater 
to meet sustained increases in demand. The Omani 
government formed its own company in 2004 to pursue the 
establishment of an industrial free zone at Port Salalah, 
possibly with a foreign partner. 
 
According to the 2003 national census, the number of 
expatriates in Oman is 559,000 - one-quarter of the 
population.  Despite government efforts to replace 
expatriate workers with Omanis, Oman still depends 
heavily on South Asian labor to fill jobs that require 
physical labor, clerical work, or certain technical 
skills.  According to the government's recently published 
Human Development Report, Oman's population is growing at 
an estimated 3.3% annual rate, with 45.2 percent of the 
national population younger than 20 years old and 56 
percent younger than 24 years.  (Note: this growth rate 
is considerably higher than the 1.9% annual rate reported 
in the 2003 national census.  End Note.)  More than 
45,000 Omanis graduate from secondary school each year; 
most are unable to find immediate work or continue with 
higher education. The government encourages training for 
Omanis as a means to spur employment, and the Ministry of 
Manpower increasingly uses its authority to enforce 
Omanization efforts, particularly at the lower end of the 
wage scale. 
 
Continued development and population pressures have also 
contributed to a growing water problem.  Aquifers are 
being seriously depleted.  There are increasing levels of 
salinity in groundwater in coastal agricultural areas.  A 
Middle East Desalination Research Center officially 
opened in 1997, with its headquarters in Muscat; initial 
funding for this center came from Oman, the United 
States, Japan, Israel, and Korea. 
 
Oman is developing more light manufacturing industries. 
In order to provide facilities for these efforts, the 
Public Establishment for Industrial Estates manages 
industrial estates throughout the country.  More than 235 
factories operate in industrial estates, with a total 
investment of $1.3 billion. The original and most 
developed is Rusayl Industrial Estate, located on the 
outskirts of the capital. 
 
A dramatic downturn in the Muscat Securities Market 
(MSM), which lost nearly 70 percent of its value from 
1998 to 2001, hurt many small and first-time investors 
deeply and undermined confidence in the economy.  The MSM 
dropped from an all-time high of 509 points in February 
1998 to 152 at the end of December 2001.  Observers 
attributed the sell-off to overzealous speculation, 
combined with abnormally high equity valuations, 
uninformed investors, and a lack of transparency. 
However, in 2002 and 2003, the market began to recoup 
some of its losses, ending 2003 at 272.7 - a 42% gain 
over 2002.  This momentum continued in 2004.  In April, 
the market crossed the psychological barrier of 300 
points, ending the month at 306.  The MSM re-indexed in 
May 2004, going from a triple-digit base to a four-digit 
one and reached 3,500 by early January 2005. AES Barka 
Power Company, a subsidiary of the AES Corporation of 
Virginia, recently floated $29.1 Million (35% of its paid 
up capital) for initial public writing. According to 
press reports, public writing mobilized capital equal to 
seventeen times the amount of shares offered, showing a 
strong demand in the Omani market for portfolio 
investment.  In early 2005, telecommunications giant 
Omantel is scheduled to float 30 percent of its shares, 
which will constitute another milestone IPO for the Omani 
capital market.  Dhofar Power Company in southern Oman, a 
subsidiary of New Jersey-based PSE&G, will also undergo 
an IPO in 2005. 
 
Since 1998, the government has introduced numerous 
measures to revive the market and regain investors' 
confidence.  The government announced a $260 million 
bailout in November 2000, offering to aid "small 
investors" and creating a national investment fund made 
up of contributions from government pension funds and the 
State General Reserve Fund, as well as offering 
incentives for investment companies to merge. The 
government's regulatory agency, the Capital Market 
Authority (CMA), also took steps to improve transparency 
in the market, including the enforcement of the 
International Accounting Standard (IAS) 39 and the 
establishment of new corporate governance standards. 
 
¶3. OPENNESS TO FOREIGN INVESTMENT 
 
Oman actively seeks private foreign investors, especially 
in the industrial, information technology, tourism, and 
higher education fields.  Investors transferring 
technology and providing employment and training for 
Omanis are particularly welcome.  Omani law relating to 
foreign investment is contained in the Foreign Business 
Investment Law of 1974, as amended.  A Commerce Ministry 
spin-off, the Omani Center for Investment Promotion and 
Export Development (OCIPED) opened in 1997 to attract 
foreign investors and smooth the path for business 
formation and private sector project development.  OCIPED 
also provides prospective foreign investors with 
information on government regulations, which are not 
always transparent - and sometimes contradictory. 
Nevertheless, despite OCIPED's efforts to become a "one- 
stop shop" for government clearances, the approval 
process for establishing a business can be tedious, 
particularly with respect to land acquisition and labor 
requirements. 
 
With Oman's accession to the World Trade Organization in 
October 2000, automatic approval of majority foreign 
ownership (up to 70 percent) is available.  Registration 
of these joint ventures is treated in the same manner as 
that common to all registrants.  The foreign firm must 
supply documentary evidence of its registration in its 
home country, its headquarters' location, its capital 
holdings, and its principal activities.  If a subsidiary, 
it must demonstrate its authority to enter the joint 
venture.  Except in the petroleum sector, where 
concession agreements with the Ministry of Oil and Gas 
determine the terms of investment, new entities with 
greater than 70 percent foreign ownership are subject to 
the approval of the Minister of Commerce and Industry. 
As part of its WTO accession package, Oman is also 
expected to allow 100 percent foreign ownership in 
certain services sector, such as banking, law, 
accountancy, and information technology. 
 
In early 1999, the government amended its corporate tax 
policy and lifted the requirement that foreign-owned 
joint ventures include a publicly traded joint stock 
company listed on the MSM in order to enjoy national tax 
treatment.  In 2003, Oman extended national tax treatment 
to all registered companies regardless of percentage of 
foreign ownership, i.e. a maximum rate of 12% tax on net 
profit. Omani branches of foreign companies are treated 
as foreign companies and therefore taxed at a maximum of 
30%.  Since Omani labor and tax laws are complex, 
investors should consider engaging local counsel. 
 
New majority foreign-owned entrants are barred from most 
professional service areas, including engineering, 
architecture, law, or accountancy.  In 1996, existing 
foreign-owned professional service firms were given 
timeframes within which to obtain Omani partners (e.g., 
five years for accounting firms).  An exception exists 
for professional service firms with subspecialties of 
critical importance to Oman.  Wholly U.S.-owned service 
firms present in Oman include Ernst & Young, KPMG, and 
the law firm Curtiss, Mallett, Colt, Mosle, and Prevost. 
Under Omani commercial law, wholly foreign-owned branches 
of foreign banks are allowed to enter the market. 
 
The permitted level of foreign ownership in privatization 
projects increased to 100 percent in July 2004, based on 
a Royal Decree providing an updated privatization 
framework.  By privatization, Oman refers not only to the 
conversion of a state-owned or mixed enterprise into a 
private sector firm, but also to the establishment of any 
new firm providing a commercial service that had 
previously been provided by the state (e.g., 
electricity).  One approach to partial conversion will be 
applied to the state-run telephone company, Omantel: the 
government is planning to float 30 percent of its stake 
in the company, while retaining the remaining 70 percent. 
 
Industrial establishments with total capital of $52,000 
or more must be licensed by the Ministry of Commerce and 
Industry.  In addition, a foreign firm interested in 
establishing a company in Oman must obtain approval from 
other ministries, such as the Ministry of Regional 
Municipalities, Environment, and Water Resources. 
Foreign workers must obtain work permits and residency 
permits from the Ministry of Manpower and the Royal Oman 
Police's Immigration Office. 
 
Oman's investment incentives focus on industrial 
development and include the following: 
 
- Five year tax holiday, renewable once; 
- Low-interest loans from the Oman Development Bank (now 
available on a very limited basis, and only for small 
firms); 
- Low-interest loans from the Ministry of Commerce and 
Industry; 
- Subsidized plant facilities and utilities at industrial 
estates; 
- Feasibility studies supplied by the Ministry of 
Commerce and Industry; and 
- Exemption from customs duties on equipment and raw 
materials during the first ten (10) years of a project. 
 
¶4. CONVERSION AND TRANSFER POLICIES 
 
Oman has no restrictions or reporting requirements on 
private capital movements into or out of the country, and 
there have been no reports of difficulty in obtaining 
foreign exchange.  The Omani Rial is pegged to the dollar 
at a rate of 0.3849 Omani Rials to the U.S. dollar. The 
Rial was devalued slightly in 1986 due to the collapse in 
oil prices, although the government did not find the 
devaluation productive.  Late in 2001, Oman began 
implementing a new law for the prevention of money 
laundering, with updated regulations on financial crimes 
being issued in July 2004. 
 
¶5. EXPROPRIATION AND COMPENSATION 
 
Oman's belief in a free market economy and desire for 
increased foreign investment and technology transfer make 
expropriation or nationalization extremely unlikely.  In 
any event, were a property to be nationalized, Article 11 
of the Basic Law of the State stipulates that the 
Government of Oman will provide prompt and fair 
compensation. 
 
¶6. DISPUTE SETTLEMENT 
 
Oman is a party to the International Center for the 
Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).  However, the 
ultimate adjudicator of business disputes within Oman is 
the Commercial Court, which was reorganized in mid-1997 
from the former Authority for Settlement of Commercial 
Disputes (ASCD).  The Commercial Court has jurisdiction 
over most tax and labor cases, and can issue orders of 
enforcement of decisions (the ASCD was limited to issuing 
orders of recognition of decisions).  The Commercial 
Court can also accept cases against governmental bodies, 
which the ASCD was unable to do.  In such cases, however, 
the Commercial Court can issue - but not enforce - 
rulings against the government.  Many practical details 
remain to be clarified. 
 
Decisions of the Commercial Court are final if the value 
of the case does not exceed U.S. $26,000.  A Court of 
Appeals exists for cases where the sum disputed is 
greater than U.S. $26,000, and a Supreme Court was 
established in mid-2001.  Decisions of the Supreme Court 
are final.  However, a case may be re-opened after a 
judgment has been issued if new documents are discovered 
or irregularities (e.g., forgery, perjury) are found. 
There is no provision for the publication of decisions. 
 
Oman also maintains other judicial bodies to adjudicate 
various disputes.  The Labor Welfare Board under the 
Ministry of Manpower hears disputes regarding severance 
pay, wages, benefits, etc.  The Real Estate Committee 
hears tenant-landlord disputes, the Police Committee 
deals with traffic matters, and the Magistrate Court 
handles misdemeanors and criminal matters.  Lastly, the 
Shari'a Court deals with family law, such as wills, 
divorces, personal and some criminal matters.  All 
litigation and hearings must be conducted in Arabic. 
 
The Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry has an 
arbitration committee to which parties to a dispute may 
refer their case when the amounts in controversy are 
small.  Local authorities, including "walis" (district 
governors appointed by the central government), also 
handle minor disputes.  While Oman is a member of the GCC 
Arbitration Center, located in Bahrain, that center has 
yet to establish a track record. 
 
¶7. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS AND INCENTIVES 
 
Since Oman's accession to the WTO in November 2000, it 
has been subject to TRIMs obligations. 
 
Under the Industry Organization and Encouragement Law of 
1978, incentives are available to licensed industrial 
installations on the recommendation of the Industrial 
Development Committee.  "Industrial installations" 
include not only those for the conversion of raw 
materials and semi-finished parts into manufactured 
products, but also mechanized assembly and packaging 
operations.  Firms involved in agriculture and fishing 
may also be included. Companies must have at least 35 
percent Omani ownership to qualify for these incentives. 
This law is expected to change soon to reflect recent 
developments in foreign investment regulations. 
 
In addition, companies selling locally produced goods are 
given priority for government purchases, provided that 
the local products meet standard quality specifications 
and their prices do not exceed those of similar imported 
goods by more than 10 percent.  This incentive is 
available to Omani-owned commercial enterprises, as well 
as foreign industrial producers in joint ventures with 
local concerns.  The government offers subsidies to 
offset the cost of feasibility and other studies if the 
proposed project is considered sufficiently important to 
the national economy. 
 
Only in the most general sense of business plan 
objectives does proprietary information have to be 
provided to qualify for incentives. 
 
¶8. RIGHT TO PRIVATE OWNERSHIP AND ESTABLISHMENT 
 
Under Oman's foreign capital investment law, non-Omanis 
are not allowed to conduct commercial, industrial, or 
tourism businesses or participate in any Omani company 
without a license issued by the Ministry of Commerce and 
Industry. 
 
According to Oman's commercial companies law, all actions 
by private entities to establish, acquire, and dispose of 
interests in business enterprises must be announced in 
the commercial register, and may be subject to the 
approval of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 
Subject to the licensing and taxation previously noted, 
foreign and domestic entities can engage in all legal 
forms of remunerative activity.  Government entities do 
not compete with the private sector, and public policy 
favors the privatization of public utilities. 
 
¶9. PROTECTION OF PROPERTY RIGHTS 
 
Real property rights are recognized and enforced in Oman, 
and records are well kept.  There is no contemporary 
history of arbitrary seizures of land.  Subject to 
government approval, GCC nationals may own property 
anywhere in Oman.  The government actively seeks to 
promote tourism, and a key component of the drive to 
attract investment is the ability to sell villas and 
estates in mixed tourist/residential developments slated 
for construction. A new law by the Ministry of Housing, 
Electricity and Water allowing foreign nationals to own 
real estate within government-recognized tourism 
complexes in Oman was issued in November 2004.  This law 
permits freehold ownership of residential property, 
including full rights of inheritance according to the 
laws of the owner's country of origin, as well as 
residency status for landowners and their immediate 
family members.  The government is finalizing the 
implementing regulations and preparing to designate the 
zones within which the law will apply.  The law does not 
apply to commercial real estate, which cannot be owned by 
non-GCC nationals. 
 
Oman has a trademark law.  Trademarks must be registered 
and noted in the Official Gazette through the Ministry of 
Commerce and Industry.  Local law firms can assist 
companies with the registration of trademarks. In May 
2000, Oman revised the trademark law to be in compliance 
with TRIPS. 
 
Oman enacted a copyright protection law in 1996, but did 
not announce enforcement mechanisms until a ministerial 
decree in April 1998, which extended protection to 
foreign copyrighted literary, technical, or scientific 
works; works of the graphic and plastic arts; and sound 
and video recordings. In order to receive protection, a 
foreign-copyrighted work must be registered with the 
Omani government by depositing a copy of the work with 
the government and paying a fee.  Since January 1999, the 
government has enforced copyright protection for audio 
and videocassettes, and destroyed stocks of pirated 
cassettes seized from vendors.  The government did not 
extend protection to foreign-copyrighted software until 
late 1998, when it declared that retailers must halt the 
importation and sale of non-licensed software by July 1, 
¶1999.  Thereafter, the government stepped up efforts to 
curtail software piracy in Oman, including raids on 
businesses to ensure that Omani firms use no pirated 
software.  The Business Software Alliance continues to 
work with Omani officials on improving enforcement of 
anti-piracy provisions. 
 
Enforcement of the copyright protection decree by the 
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, the Ministry of 
Commerce and Industry, and the Royal Oman Police has been 
effective, as once plentiful pirated video and audiotapes 
and computer software have largely disappeared from local 
vendors' shelves.  Nonetheless, under-the-counter sales 
of unauthorized software and DVDs persist in various 
locations, and authorities continue to grapple with 
effective enforcement measures against such sales.  In 
late October 2003, 16 Omani companies signed the Business 
Software Alliance (BSA) Code of Ethics.  The Code of 
Ethics declares that the signatories would neither commit 
nor tolerate the manufacture or use or distribution of 
unlicensed software and would only supply licensed 
software to customers.  In late December 2004, a 
government raid of four unauthorized software resellers 
in coordination with BSA resulted in confiscation of 
pirated software.  According to local satellite TV 
representatives, the Ministry of Commerce is staging 
sporadic raids on unlicensed distributors of pirated 
satellite signals in response to industry complaints. 
 
In mid-2000, the government introduced new, WTO- 
consistent intellectual property laws on copyrights, 
trademarks, industrial secrets, and integrated circuits. 
Further, in October 2000 Oman issued new, WTO-consistent 
intellectual property rights legislation to protect 
patents and other intellectual property rights. 
 
Oman has joined the World Intellectual Property 
Organization (WIPO), and asked WIPO to register Oman as a 
signatory to the Paris and Berne conventions on 
intellectual property protection.  Although not yet a 
party to the WIPO Internet Treaties (i.e., the WIPO 
Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms 
Treaty), the government claims it will soon accede. 
 
¶10. TRANSPARENCY OF THE REGULATORY SYSTEM 
 
In 2003, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority 
(TRA) began functioning as a legal and regulatory body in 
Oman.  The TRA oversees the process of liberalization and 
privatization of the telecommunications sector, and is 
composed of four senior officials (one from the Ministry 
of National Economy, one from Omantel, one from the Royal 
Oman Police, and the Minister of Transport and 
Communications, who serves as the chairman).  In 
addition, the new privatization framework law passed in 
July 2004 provides for a new regulator for public 
utilities that are being privatized in the power and 
water sectors. 
 
The government recognizes that its regulatory environment 
can hamper investment and commercial activity.  In 
addition to the ownership and agency requirements already 
mentioned, the licensing of business activities can be 
time-consuming and complicated.  The absence of a 
particular clearance will stall the entire process.  For 
example, processing shipments in and out of the Mina 
Qaboos Port can add significantly to the amount of time 
it takes to get goods to market or inputs to a project. 
 
Oman's tax laws can also impede foreign investment. 
Although Oman amended its tax laws to allow national tax 
treatment for joint ventures regardless of percentage of 
foreign participation, branches of foreign companies are 
taxed at 30 percent of income.  Oman's labor laws, which 
require minimum quotas of Omani employees depending on 
the type of work, form another potential impediment to 
foreign investment.  The government's Omanization effort 
has been the subject of criticism in the Omani private 
sector, which often complains that it can harm 
productivity and restrict hiring and firing policies. 
 
Government red tape and long delays in official decision- 
making are other frequent complaints among the local 
private sector.  Because decisions often require the 
approval of multiple ministries, the government decision- 
making process can be tedious and non-transparent. 
 
The government has issued a series of regulations aimed 
at increasing transparency and disclosure in the 
financial market.  The Capital Market Authority (CMA) has 
ordered all public companies to comply with a set of 
standards for disclosure.  Under the requirements, 
holding companies must publish the accounts of their 
subsidiaries with the parent companies' accounts. 
Companies must also fully disclose their investment 
portfolios, including details of the purchase cost and 
current market prices for investment holdings.  The new 
initiatives also require publication of these financial 
statements in the local press. At the same time, the 
Central Bank has also introduced new rules to limit the 
level of "related party transactions" (financial 
transactions involving families or subsidiary companies 
belonging to major shareholders or board members) in 
Oman's commercial banks.  The new rules will help 
increase transparency in financial transactions in local 
banks and the MSM, and will help clarify the activities 
of publicly traded companies. 
 
¶11. EFFICIENT CAPITAL MARKETS AND PORTFOLIO INVESTMENT 
 
There are no restrictions in Oman on the flow of capital 
and the repatriation of profits.  Access to Oman's 
limited commercial credit resources is open to Omani 
firms with some foreign participation.  Joint stock 
companies with capital in excess of $5.2 million must be 
listed on the MSM.  According to the recently amended 
Commercial Companies Law, companies must have been in 
existence for at least two years before being floated for 
public trading. 
 
The Sultanate has two loan programs to promote 
investment.  The Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MOCI) 
administers a program designed to promote industrial 
investment.  Formerly interest free, the program now 
charges 4 percent interest, with generous repayment 
terms.  MOCI loans will match equity contributions in the 
Muscat capital area, or 1.25 times equity for other 
locations.  Projects with a high percentage of local 
content or employing large numbers of Omanis are given 
priority, as are tourism projects outside the capital 
area.  The Oman Development Bank also administers a loan 
program to support development of smaller loans to 
industry, agriculture, fisheries, petroleum, mining, and 
services. 
 
Foreigners may invest in the MSM, as long as this is done 
through a local broker.  Since the 1998 market downturn, 
MSM statistics show that the percentage of foreign 
investment in the MSM has remained stable at around 18 
percent. 
 
The legacy of the economic slowdown continues to impact 
the banking sector, although most banks showed a 
significant increase in profitability during 2004. 
Corporate profitability declined significantly in 1999, 
but has experienced a robust recovery in subsequent 
years.  The banking law issued in November 2000 allowed 
more efficient control over the financial sector by the 
authorities.  Furthermore, early in 2003 the Central Bank 
of Oman promulgated new rules and regulations to ensure 
proper and efficient management of the banks. The effect 
of this circular was enhanced by the implementation of a 
Code of Corporate Governance, as well as amendments to 
the Capital Market Law and the Commercial Companies Law 
which stipulated that the boards of directors of all 
jointly listed companies should appoint an internal audit 
committee, an internal auditor, and a legal advisor. 
 
Banking consolidation continued in 2004 with the 
announced merger of Bank Muscat and the National Bank of 
Oman, a move that would create a $6.5 billion 
institution.  Subject to final audits and approval by the 
shareholders of the respective companies, this merger is 
expected to become final by the end of March 2005. 
 
¶12. POLITICAL VIOLENCE 
 
Politically motivated violence is virtually unknown in 
Oman. Since October 2000, there have been some 
demonstrations, but these were generally orderly. 
 
¶13. CORRUPTION 
 
Article 53 of the Basic Law of the State, issued in 
November 1996, compelled ministers to resign their 
offices in public shareholding enterprises.  As of 1999, 
Under Secretaries (deputy ministers) were also required 
to resign from the boards of any public companies.  Most 
major contracts are awarded through a slow, rigorous, but 
generally clean tender process.  Contracts awarded 
through a ministry's internal tender process are subject 
to fewer controls. Although Oman is not a signatory to 
the OECD convention on combating bribery, Sultan Qaboos 
has dismissed several ministers and senior government 
officials for corruption during his reign.  Oman has not 
yet signed the UN Convention Against Corruption. 
 
¶14. BILATERAL INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS 
 
Oman and the United States signed a bilateral Trade and 
Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) on July 7, 2004. 
This agreement established a U.S.-Oman Trade and 
Investment Council, which met for the first time in 
Washington in September 2004.  Investment issues are 
under active discussion in follow-up meetings, especially 
in preparation for negotiating a Free Trade Agreement 
(FTA) with Oman beginning in Spring 2005.  These 
negotiations will supplant previous discussions regarding 
a Bilateral Investment Treaty, as an FTA will include an 
investment chapter. 
 
¶15. OPIC AND OTHER INVESTMENT INSURANCE PROGRAMS 
 
Oman is eligible for Export-Import Bank of the United 
States (EXIM) financing and insurance coverage.  In late 
2003, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) 
proposed an update to its existing 1976 bilateral 
agreement with Oman to reflect current investment 
realities.  As of January 2005, the Omani government is 
still reviewing the updated agreement. 
 
¶16. LABOR 
 
A new Labor Law was promulgated by Royal Decree in 2003, 
providing additional protections for workers and raising 
the minimum working age from 13 to 15.  Implementing 
regulations adopted in early 2004 clarified the role and 
scope of workers' representation committees as outlined 
in this law.  In addition, the government is expanding 
its Omanization drive to areas outside the capital of 
Muscat, particularly in the retail, transport, and light 
manufacturing sectors. 
 
Oman relies heavily on expatriate labor, primarily from 
India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, to perform 
menial and physically taxing work as well as to fill 
managerial positions.  Omani labor law stipulates basic 
practices to safeguard workers; employers set wages for 
Omanis within guidelines delineated by the Ministry of 
Manpower.  The minimum wage for Omanis working in the 
private sector, including salary and benefits, is 120 
R.O. (about $312) per month.  Work rules must be approved 
by the Ministry and posted conspicuously in the work 
place.  The workweek is five days in the public sector 
and generally five and one-half days in the private 
sector.  The labor law and subsequent regulations also 
detail requirements for occupational safety and access to 
medical treatment.  However, non-Omanis in retail, 
personal service outlets, construction, and petroleum 
fields typically work up to seven days a week, depending 
on their contracts. 
 
"Omanization" - the replacement of expatriate labor by 
Omanis - is a high priority for the government.  Foreign 
nationals may not be employed as technical assistants, 
guards, light vehicle drivers, Arabic typists, 
agricultural workers, forklift or mixer operators, or 
public relations officers, unless the employer can show 
that there are no Omanis available for the position. 
Only Omanis are permitted to work as taxi drivers, 
customs expediters, and fishermen.  In 1999 and 2000, the 
government "Omanized" (i.e., banned expatriates from 
working in) a number of low-wage jobs, including 
vegetable and grocery shopkeepers, water tank truck 
drivers, gas cylinder truck drivers, plow operators, and 
real estate agents.  Through concerted training efforts, 
the government has also sought to increase the number of 
Omanis employed as gasoline station attendants, waiters, 
barbers, and hairdressers, while allowing expatriates to 
remain employed in such positions.  The government 
recently announced its intention to Omanize 24 more 
occupation classifications over the next four years.  The 
first phase of the plan will include 16 occupation 
classifications, mainly different varieties of 
shopkeepers and repairmen. 
 
In 1994, Oman became a member of the International Labor 
Organization (ILO). 
 
¶17. FOREIGN TRADE ZONES/FREE PORTS 
 
Oman has no general provisions for the temporary entry of 
goods.  In the case of auto re-exports, a company can 
import vehicles into the country for the purpose of re- 
export and have duties refunded if it re-exports the 
vehicle within six months. In 1999, the government opened 
a new free trade zone at an interior border crossing 
point with Yemen (al-Mazyounah).  Oman is currently 
planning to develop a free trade zone in Salalah, 
adjacent to the international container transshipment 
port that opened in November 1998. The government has 
also expressed its intention to establish a free zone at 
Sohar port, in conjunction with plans to expand the 
existing port and industrial zone. 
 
¶18. FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT STATISTICS AND MAJOR 
FOREIGN INVESTORS 
 
Systematic information on foreign direct investment is 
limited. As per Capital Market Authority statistics, 
total investment in listed Omani companies with foreign 
participation was $2.4 billion in September 2004, of 
which 8.94% was foreign investment. Foreign capital 
constituted 7.49% of capital invested in finance, 3.03% 
in manufacturing, and 8.94% in insurance and services. 
 
The largest foreign investor is Royal Dutch Shell Oil, 
which holds 34 percent of Petroleum Development Oman, the 
state oil company, and 30 percent of Oman Liquid Natural 
Gas.  Other companies, such as Occidental Petroleum, BP 
Amoco, Novus Petroleum, Hunt, and Nimr have also invested 
in the petroleum sector.  Two U.S. firms, Gorman Rupp 
(water pumps) and FMC (wellhead equipment), have entered 
into industrial joint ventures with Omani firms.  Both 
joint ventures involve modest manufacturing operations. 
Since 1999, Oman has witnessed increased foreign direct 
investment through the privatization process.  Major 
foreign investors that have entered the Omani market 
recently include PSEG Global (U.S.), AES (U.S.), and 
National Power (U.K.).  Dow Chemical of the U.S. 
announced a joint venture with Oman Oil Company and the 
Government of Oman in July 2004 to develop a large 
petrochemical plant in Sohar. 
 
BALTIMORE