Latest news with #RO10
Muscat Daily
3 days ago
- Business
- Muscat Daily
ROP amends validity, fees for Omani ID and expat resident cards
Muscat – Royal Oman Police (ROP) has issued Decision No 78/2025 amending provisions of the Executive Regulation of the Civil Status Law, extending the validity period and revising fees for personal identity cards of Omani citizens and resident cards for expatriates. Under the new rules, personal identity cards for Omanis will now be valid for ten years from the date of issue or renewal, as opposed to five years earlier. Issuing, renewing or replacing a lost or damaged card will cost RO10. Resident cards of expatriates will be valid for a maximum of three years. The fee for issuing or renewing a resident card of one-year validity is RO5, RO10 for two years and RO15 for three years. Replacement of a lost or stolen resident card will cost RO20. Issued by Lt Gen Hassan bin Mohsen al Shuraiqi, Inspector General of Police and Customs, the amendments replace Article 21 of the regulation. The changes were made in line with the Civil Status Law (Royal Decree No 99/66), its Executive Regulation (Decision No 40/2007), with approval of Ministry of Finance. The decision was published in Official Gazette Issue 1608 and takes effect from August 7, 2025. The move was welcomed by citizens and residents. 'Royal Oman Police is one of the most active government agencies in terms of innovation and development, especially in the services it provides, which are easy to access and quick to complete through advanced systems. Thank you,' Abdullah al Wahaibi posted on X. Hamad al Awisi, also on X, commented, 'We thank the Lt Gen for this step that facilitates citizens and reduces renewal procedures. However, over time, the card remains vulnerable to damage or loss, especially with daily use. Since the fee for issuing a replacement for a lost or damaged card is the same as the renewal fee, it may be worth reviewing in the future.' Ramesh Iyer, an Indian expatriate in Salalah, said, 'Earlier, we had to renew our resident cards every two years, which meant more paperwork and time off work. With the option of a three-year validity, we save both time and money. For families with schoolchildren, it reduces the stress of renewals every two years.' Salim Akthar, a Pakistani resident in Muscat, added, 'Paying once for three years makes life easier and more organised. It's also helpful for frequent travellers as it eliminates the risk of expiry while abroad. The flexibility shows ROP is considering residents' needs.'
Muscat Daily
05-08-2025
- Automotive
- Muscat Daily
Over RO10000 refunded to consumer in Sinaw over vehicle dispute
By OUR CORRESPONDENT North Sharqiyah– The Consumer Protection Authority in the wilayat of Sinaw, under the Consumer Protection Department in North Sharqiyah, has successfully mediated a settlement between a consumer and a local vehicle dealership. The case began when a consumer lodged a complaint after discovering a defect in a newly purchased vehicle, despite it being under warranty. The consumer requested a resolution—either through repair, replacement, or a refund—but received no suitable response from the dealership. Following the complaint, the Authority intervened and initiated communication with the involved parties. As a result, a mutual agreement was reached, leading to the termination of the sales contract and a full refund of RO10,058.500, including registration fees. This settlement underscores the Consumer Protection Authority's continued commitment to ensuring fair trade practices and safeguarding consumer rights. The Authority also reminded suppliers to adhere strictly to consumer protection laws to maintain trust and transparency in the market.
Observer
22-05-2025
- Business
- Observer
Omran and Al Dhahirah sign MoU to develop Ibri View project
MUSCAT, MAY 22 Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Al Dhahirah Governorate to develop the highly anticipated 'Ibri View' project. The agreement, which aligns with the goals of Oman Vision 2040, marks a new milestone in the country's commitment to creating vibrant tourism destinations across the Sultanate. The signing of the MoU reflects a strategic partnership aimed at transforming the Ibri View concept into a fully realised tourism and lifestyle destination. By collaborating with local authorities, OMRAN Group aims to tap into the region's natural and economic potential while fostering community engagement, sustainable practices, and long-term investment opportunities. The Ibri View project, also known as 'Etalat Ibri', first gained national attention last year when it was named the best proposed development in a competition organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning. Located in the Al Salif area of wilayat Ibri, the project was hailed for its vision and alignment with sustainable development principles, reflecting Oman's commitment to uplifting living standards across its governorates. Commenting on the project's recognition, Najeeb bin Ali Rawas, Governor of Dhahirah, stated that the award reflects the Governorate's ambition to fulfill the sustainable development objectives outlined in Oman Vision 2040. 'The project is poised to deliver significant social and economic benefits to the local community, including job creation, economic stimulation, infrastructure enhancement, and community integration,' he said. Spread across 2 million square metres, the Ibri View project is planned with a total investment of RO183 million. The Ministry of Finance has earmarked RO10 million for the first phase, a strong indicator of the government's support for advancing infrastructure and stimulating regional growth. The development will feature a blend of residential, commercial, and leisure facilities including three hotels, a shopping centre, residential areas, green spaces, a youth centre, and other recreational amenities. Environmental sustainability is at the core of the project's design, with elements such as renewable energy solutions, green construction practices, smart infrastructure, and sustainable transport systems integrated from the outset. Rawas also highlighted the project's role in enhancing Ibri's identity as a prominent commercial and entertainment hub in the region. 'The first phase, expected to be completed within two years, is designed to create an inclusive space for social interaction and economic activity while preserving local heritage and environmental integrity.' In addition to transforming the physical landscape, Ibri View is expected to generate both direct and indirect employment across various sectors, including construction, retail, hospitality, maintenance, and services. The project will also serve as a platform for small and medium enterprise (SME) development, further embedding sustainability into the local economy. With the signing of the MoU, OMRAN Group and Al Dhahirah Governorate have taken a significant step toward turning a visionary plan into a catalyst for regional growth—one that positions Ibri as a model for future development across the Sultanate.
Zawya
06-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Visit Oman a strategic platform to promote inbound tourism
MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman's national booking platform, Visit Oman, has been catering to over 155,000 tourists in a year, who spend and contribute around RO10 million to the domestic market. Speaking to the Observer on the occasion of the recently held Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Shabib al Mamaari, managing director, Visit Oman, said, "These numbers include tourists who have booked through our website directly as well as through our partners." Launched in 2021 as a subsidiary of Omran Group, Visit Oman aims to connect the accredited Omani travel supply chain, which includes airlines, hotels, transfers, tour operators, and experience providers. He said Visit Oman is also a strategic partner to the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) and, as a Business-to-Business (B2B) booking Engine, works in source markets in partnership with the national airlines Oman Air and Salam Air. "What we do is we provide our trade partners, the buyers, a fully fledged booking engine that gives them well over 200 products, 100 hotels, many transportation providers, among others. These trade partners can pick and choose from these products, buy them, and then resell them to the end consumer, the tourists. We're trying to make booking easy for anyone interested. But we're working with trade partners." On plans for Business to Customer (B2C), he said that it would require some years and also big investment. We feel the B2B strategy is faster and more reliable. Since its inception, the B2B platform has grown to 30 source markets and around 220 trade partners that use our technology in the GCC, India, China, Russia, Western and Eastern Europe, and a couple of them in North America, South America, the Far East, and Australia. We're very much focused on the region, India, and Europe, and we're expanding to Russia and China. Al Mamaari said, "All of our products are quality assured, which is very important. It's not anyone who can become part of the platform. Also, we provide travel insurance to all to cover all of our experiences, which is a must for the European traveller. They like to know if they send someone experience that they bought and resold to a consumer, covered by insurance. If there is an accident, if something bad happens, they need that. We provide it. That gives a lot of our users comfort, and also the fact that this is a state-owned company guarantees a level of trust." Apart from Oman Air and SalamAir, Visit Oman is also connected to 80-plus airlines. Not all of these airlines come directly to the Sultanate of Oman, and some of them come here via codeshare partners." On the revenue model, Visit Oman offers free services to clients, suppliers, and trade partners. It doesn't cost them anything, but we take a commission if there is a transaction. So we do the business development on behalf of our suppliers. We have well over 100 small and medium enterprises, and 80 percent of our suppliers are small and medium enterprises." PLANS "Last year, we launched a new technology that gave us Business-to-Business-to-Consumer (B2B2C), which means business relationships in which two companies partner to offer services to clients. Now, we can push more products on the platform of choice. Let's say you don't know much about Visit Oman and need time to trust and understand the products. So what happens? You go to Expedia, you go to you go to the platform of choice. We're connecting to those platforms. This gave us a competitive advantage to reach a wider audience. Now, we jumped from 30 to 175 markets and from 220 trade partners to around 500 million users. These are not our users. These are the users of the likes of the biggest apps in the world. But now, because of technology, we're pushing that content and we're providing that content to many users," he said. On competing with big names such as Visit Saudi Arabia or Visit Qatar that do large-scale promotions, Al Mamaari said it's not about scale in terms of competing with the big brands. "We're more specialised in the B2B digital sphere and destination marketing comes under Experienced Oman." CHALLENGES: "We have a lot of competition in the region, and what we're trying to do is specialise and complement instead of competing with each other. We also look for niche products and different experiences such as scuba diving, swimming with whales. You don't do that anywhere in the world. Kite surfing was introduced by Omran, besides deep dive fishing, which we want to promote on a global scale." 2022 © All right reserved for Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising (OEPPA) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Observer
05-05-2025
- Business
- Observer
Visit Oman a strategic platform to promote inbound tourism
MUSCAT, MAY 5 The Sultanate of Oman's national booking platform, Visit Oman, has been catering to over 155,000 tourists in a year, who spend and contribute around RO10 million to the domestic market. Speaking to the Observer on the occasion of the recently held Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Shabib al Mamaari, managing director, Visit Oman, said, "These numbers include tourists who have booked through our website directly as well as through our partners." Launched in 2021 as a subsidiary of Omran Group, Visit Oman aims to connect the accredited Omani travel supply chain, which includes airlines, hotels, transfers, tour operators, and experience providers. He said Visit Oman is also a strategic partner to the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) and, as a Business-to-Business (B2B) booking Engine, works in source markets in partnership with the national airlines Oman Air and Salam Air. "What we do is we provide our trade partners, the buyers, a fully fledged booking engine that gives them well over 200 products, 100 hotels, many transportation providers, among others. These trade partners can pick and choose from these products, buy them, and then resell them to the end consumer, the tourists. We're trying to make booking easy for anyone interested. But we're working with trade partners." On plans for Business to Customer (B2C), he said that it would require some years and also big investment. We feel the B2B strategy is faster and more reliable. Since its inception, the B2B platform has grown to 30 source markets and around 220 trade partners that use our technology in the GCC, India, China, Russia, Western and Eastern Europe, and a couple of them in North America, South America, the Far East, and Australia. We're very much focused on the region, India, and Europe, and we're expanding to Russia and China. Al Mamaari said, "All of our products are quality assured, which is very important. It's not anyone who can become part of the platform. Also, we provide travel insurance to all to cover all of our experiences, which is a must for the European traveller. They like to know if they send someone experience that they bought and resold to a consumer, covered by insurance. If there is an accident, if something bad happens, they need that. We provide it. That gives a lot of our users comfort, and also the fact that this is a state-owned company guarantees a level of trust." Apart from Oman Air and SalamAir, Visit Oman is also connected to 80-plus airlines. Not all of these airlines come directly to the Sultanate of Oman, and some of them come here via codeshare partners." On the revenue model, Visit Oman offers free services to clients, suppliers, and trade partners. It doesn't cost them anything, but we take a commission if there is a transaction. So we do the business development on behalf of our suppliers. We have well over 100 small and medium enterprises, and 80 percent of our suppliers are small and medium enterprises." PLANS "Last year, we launched a new technology that gave us Business-to-Business-to-Consumer (B2B2C), which means business relationships in which two companies partner to offer services to clients. Now, we can push more products on the platform of choice. Let's say you don't know much about Visit Oman and need time to trust and understand the products. So what happens? You go to Expedia, you go to you go to the platform of choice. We're connecting to those platforms. This gave us a competitive advantage to reach a wider audience. Now, we jumped from 30 to 175 markets and from 220 trade partners to around 500 million users. These are not our users. These are the users of the likes of the biggest apps in the world. But now, because of technology, we're pushing that content and we're providing that content to many users," he said. On competing with big names such as Visit Saudi Arabia or Visit Qatar that do large-scale promotions, Al Mamaari said it's not about scale in terms of competing with the big brands. "We're more specialised in the B2B digital sphere and destination marketing comes under Experienced Oman." CHALLENGES: "We have a lot of competition in the region, and what we're trying to do is specialise and complement instead of competing with each other. We also look for niche products and different experiences such as scuba diving, swimming with whales. You don't do that anywhere in the world. Kite surfing was introduced by Omran, besides deep dive fishing, which we want to promote on a global scale."
