Procedures
A 2013 civil transactions code with conventional three-tier appeals
The Civil Transactions Law of 2013 codified obligations and property. Litigation runs through first instance, appeal and the Supreme Court.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Courts of First Instance, Courts of Appeal, Supreme Court. Commercial and labour divisions sit within them.
- Deadline — 30 days to appeal a civil judgment
- Deadline — 40 days to appeal to the Supreme Court
Governing law
- Civil Transactions Law, Royal Decree 29 of 2013
- Civil and Commercial Procedure Law, Royal Decree 29 of 2002
- Judicial Authority Law, Royal Decree 9 of 2012
- Arbitration Law, Royal Decree 47 of 1997
In practice
Oman codified its civil law relatively late, in 2013, and the code follows the Egyptian and wider Arab civil law tradition with explicit sharia underpinning. Proceedings are in Arabic and documentary. Oman has no financial free zone with a separate legal system, so unlike the UAE and Qatar there is no common-law forum, though the special economic zone at Duqm has its own regulatory regime. The 1997 Arbitration Law is based on the Egyptian statute and Oman is a New York Convention party.