OMAN Law and Practice Contributed by: Mohammed Al Khalili, Jenna Al Bakry, Joud Lashko and Abdullah Al Raiisi, Al Khalili, Al Ghailani & Co LLP
This measured approach reflects Oman’s commitment to legal stability, procedural integrity, and civil law orthodoxy, thereby ensuring that collective redress continues to evolve within the parameters of Oman’s established judicial and administrative traditions. 1.2 Basis for the Legislative Regime, Including Analogous International Laws The collective redress framework of Oman is not modelled on any foreign class action system, wheth- er that of the USA or other jurisdictions. Instead, it has evolved indigenously within a civil law tradition influenced by Egyptian procedural doctrine and, to a limited extent, the French model of judicial organisa- tion – both of which served as technical references during Oman’s codification of the CCPL. The Omani system reflects a civilian ethos – ie, rights of action are individual, litigation is strictly person- al, and procedural representation is permitted only through explicit legal or contractual authority. Con- sequently, Oman’s approach diverges fundamentally from the collective litigation culture characteristic of the US system. 1.3 Implementation of the EU Collective Redress Regime Oman has completed several treaties with the EU. These range from the co-operation agreement entered into in 1988 between the European Economic Com- munity (EEC) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ‒ of which Oman is a member state ‒ to the EU‒Oman Air Transport Agreement, which was initialled by the EU and Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2021. It is important to recognise that Oman forms part of the GCC, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE as its other current mem- bers. Although the GCC entered into the co-operation agreement shortly after it was formed in 1988, there have been no indications yet to implement Directive (EU) 2020/1828 (the “EU Collective Redress Direc- tive”). Perhaps this remains the case because of the difficulty in implementing the EU Collective Redress Directive. In any case, in the event that implementation occurs, it is more likely to be made under a joint collaborative
decision by the GCC. At the time of writing (autumn 2025), no GCC member state has indicated any intent to implement the EU Collective Redress Directive. 2. Legal Framework 2.1 Collective Redress and Class Action Legislation With Oman itself being in the midst of an era of remark- able growth and reinvention, legal practitioners have witnessed an influx of updates to Oman’s legal frame- work during the course of the past decade ‒ formalis- ing more modern, international standards of practice. As mentioned in 1.1 History and Policy Drivers of the Legislative Regime , although the current system may support a limited scope of collective redress and class action guidelines, Oman is expecting legislative developments that will broaden this scope in the com- ing years. In recognition of where Oman stands today, the mechanisms for collective redress are set out across a selection of its regulations, covering key principles within the law. The regulations include: • the CPL promulgated by Royal Decree 66/2014 and its Executive Regulations; • the Labour Law promulgated by Royal Decree 53/2023 (the “Labour Law”) and its Executive Regulations; and • the CCPL promulgated by Royal Decree 29/2002. Civil and Commercial Procedures The foundational text within Omani legal framework governing collective redress and class action proce- dures and practice is the CCPL. Simply put, the CCPL is the cornerstone of all collective action and acts as the procedural baseline when interpreting the provi- sions outlined under the other specified areas of law governing the same. The CCPL establishes the authority of the courts and their jurisdiction to rule on associated claims. The prin- ciples of this legislation legitimise collective claims, covering all court procedural considerations, including potential accommodation for complex or multiparty
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