Pursuant to the Telecommunications Regulatory Act, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority issued Decision No. 37/2008. In accordance with Arts. 4 and 5, dealing in encryption systems or equipment should only be permitted after obtaining the Authority’s approval. The following are required to obtain the Authority’s approval to deal with encryption systems or equipment:
- Registration with the Authority to deal in encryption systems or equipment;
- Submission of a statement showing the type and specifications of all encryption systems or equipment intended to deal in;
- A sample of the encryption system or equipment intended to be dealt with whenever requested by the Authority. Where samples are submitted, the Authority may retain them in whole or in part if the work interest so requires;
- Information as requested by the Authority regarding the dealing user;
In addition, the Authority may scrutinise and inspect the encryption systems or equipment before licensing their usage, and it may, whenever necessary, retain a sample and obtain the key (Art. 9).

Trade secrets and other undisclosed information are protected under the Law on Industrial Property Rights (Arts. 60.1(b), 65.1 and 65.2) and its Implementing Regulation (Regulation No. 105/2008), which prohibit the unfair commercial use and disclosure of undisclosed information, including regulatory test data, as acts of unfair competition. In addition, Part IV of the Law on Industrial Property Rights sets out the infringement proceedings and remedies applicable to acts of unfair competition, including those involving the misuse or disclosure of trade secrets and other forms of undisclosed information.

There is no obligation for passive infrastructure sharing in the country to deliver telecom services to end users. However, it is practiced in the mobile sector and in the fixed sector based on commercial agreements.

It is reported that Omantel, the leading telecommunications company in the country, remains under majority government ownership, with the government holding a controlling stake of 51%.

Under TRA Decision No. 26/2016 issuing the Regulations on Accounting Separation, Oman requires accounting separation for operators with significant market power (SMP) in the telecommunications market. In addition, it has been reported that functional separation is also mandated in the country; however, no explicit legal provision establishing such an obligation could be identified in publicly available sources online.

Under Arts. 20–22 of the Telecommunications Regulatory Act (Royal Decree No. 30/2002), any person wishing to establish or operate a telecommunications system or provide telecommunications services must obtain a licence from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. Basic public telecommunications services require a Class I licence granted by Royal Decree, additional public telecommunications services require a Class II licence, and private telecommunications services require a Class III licence.
Pursuant to Art. 21 of the Act, the Authority may limit the number of telecommunications or radio licences issued for a specific class of telecommunications systems or services in order to: (i) ensure the efficient management and use of the frequency spectrum; (ii) specify a particular period to ensure that a sufficient stock of telecommunications numbers is available for use under the Numbering Plan; and (iii) meet public interest requirements.

Art. 6 of the Foreign Capital Investment Law stipulates that all permits required for foreign investments in Oman should be approved through the Investments Services Centre of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

In accordance with Art. 95 of the Law on Industrial Property Rights, where an applicant’s ordinary residence or principal place of business is located outside Oman, the applicant must be represented by an attorney who is resident and practising in Oman. This attorney must hold a licence to practise intellectual property activity and be empowered to take any decisions in accordance with the provisions of the Law.
Furthermore, under Art. 5 of Regulation No. 105/2008, an applicant residing abroad may appoint an attorney resident and practising in the Sultanate, provided that: (a) the attorney supplies the department with a copy of their licence to practise intellectual property activity; and (b) registers their name with the department using Form No. (1) after payment of the prescribed fees.

Oman is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). However, the country does not consider itself bound by Art. 59 related to disputes.

Oman has a copyright regime under the Royal Decree No. 65/2008 on Law on Copyright and Neighbouring Rights. However, the exceptions do not follow the fair use or fair dealing model, therefore limiting the lawful use of copyrighted work by others. Art. 20 lists the exceptions, which include quoting paragraphs from a protected work lawfully made available to the public in another work for clarification, explanation, or criticism purposes, to the extent of the desired purpose and as much as justified by such goal; the use of the work in meetings within the family or through an educational institution for clarification during face-to-face educational or teaching purposes, within limits justified by such goal, provided that this would be done with no direct or indirect compensation; among others.

Although Oman’s intellectual property legislation is generally robust, it is reported that limited enforcement capacity places a significant burden on rights holders, who must themselves undertake monitoring and pursue enforcement primarily through court proceedings.

Oman is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA). However, the country has been an observer of the WTO GPA since 2001.

According to Royal Decree No. 50/2019, foreign investment is prohibited in those activities included in a so-called “negative list.” Ministerial Decision No. 209/2020 of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MOCIIP) establishes this negative list of investments, which restricts foreign participation in specific sectors to safeguard national security interests. The list currently comprises 128 activities, including the retail sale of mobile phones, their accessories, and telecommunications service cards licensed in the Sultanate.

Oman is a signatory of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) of 1996 but is not a signatory of its 2015 expansion (ITA II).

In August 2024, following publication in the GCC Technical Secretariat’s Official Gazette (Vol. 47, 20 August 2024), the GCC Member States, included Oman, imposed definitive anti-dumping duties for five years on imports of electrical connectors, switches, sockets and plugs for a voltage not exceeding 1,000 volts (HS 853669, 853650, 85444291, 85444221) originating in or exported from the People’s Republic of China; the duty rates range from 11.3% to 42% by exporter.