FAQ

Q: Is Decree an official source for English translations of Omani laws?

No, Decree is a private non-governmental project and the translations available on this website are not official.

Q: How often is Decree updated?

Decree is updated on a weekly basis.

Q: What is the difference between royal decrees and laws?

A royal decree is a versatile legislative instrument issued by His Majesty the Sultan that performs a variety of functions from the promulgation of laws to the appointment of government officials. A law is a very specific legal instrument that governs a certain subject matter. All laws in the Sultanate of Oman nowadays get promulgated by royal decree, but not all royal decrees promulgate laws.

Q: What is the Official Gazette?

The Official Gazette is a weekly publication issued by the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs in which legislation is published. New royal decrees are usually announced by Oman News Agency on the same day a royal decree is issued, but the full text of the royal decree is usually published in the Official Gazette on the Sunday following the issuance of the royal decree. Therefore, it is usually not possible to view the full contents of a royal decree except the following week.

Q: What is the “Auto Translate” feature and how does it work?

This feature is available for any royal decree that has not yet been translated by Decree. Machine translation adopts Google translation technology to provide automated and immediate translations using Qanoon as its source.

Q: What are Consolidated Laws?

A consolidated version of a law contains all the amendments issued for that law. You can learn more about our consolidation methodology at this link.

Q: Why do Decree translations not capitalise defined terms?

The translations of Decree follow the Irfan Rulebook, which recommends not capitalising defined terms. You can read more about our translation methodology on this page.

Q: Why are there no hyperlinks for some laws in the recitals of certain royal decrees?

There is a small number of legacy laws promulgated in the early 1970s directly by His Majesty without a royal decree. An example of this is the old Commercial Companies Law 4/74. The majority of such legacy laws have been abolished and Decree does not currently publish any of them.