We, Qaboos bin Said, the Sultan of Oman
after perusal of Royal Decree 26/75 Issuing the Law Governing the Administrative Apparatus of the State and its amendments,
and desiring to preserve the water resources of the Sultanate as a national wealth for future generations of the people of our beloved country,
and in pursuance of public interest,
have decreed as follows
Article I
The water reserve of the Sultanate is hereby deemed a public national wealth, the exploitation of which the state shall direct in a manner that serves agricultural and development plans. For the purposes of this definition, water reserves include aquifers existing at the time of the entry into force of this decree or those that appear after this, irrespective of the ownership of the land above which they are located or from which they are recharged.
Article II
The use of the water reserve of the Sultanate is subject to controls that are established to ensure its utilisation to an extent that does not affect the available quantities. These controls must specify the aquifers, the areas benefiting from them, the routes of access to them, and the rules governing their distribution and use.
Article III
The Ministry of Environment and Water Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries shall set the regulations implementing the provisions of this decree, in coordination with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs.
Article IV
All that is contrary to this decree, or in conflict with its provisions, is hereby repealed.
Article V
This decree must be published in the Official Gazette, and comes into force from the date of its issuance.
Issued on: 2 Rabi Al-Thani 1409
Corresponding to: 12 November 1988
Qaboos bin Said
Sultan of Oman
Published in Official Gazette 395 issued on 15 November 1988.