Muscat: Salim bin Nasser al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals and Chairman of the Board of the Social Protection Fund, issued Decision No. R/9/2025 on the applicabilty of retirement provisions for persons with disabilities.
Published in the Official Gazette (Issue 1611) on Sunday, August 31, the decision stipulates that insured individuals who are entitled to the disability benefit, in accordance with the Executive Regulations of the Social Protection Law, will be covered under the retirement provisions designated for persons with disabilities within the branch of old-age, disability, and death insurance.
The Social Protection Law had earlier granted persons with disabilities the right to early retirement without deduction, provided two conditions are met: being at least 10 years younger than the statutory retirement age for old-age pensioners, and completing no less than 15 years of actual service while living with the disability. This effectively allows eligible individuals to retire at the age of 50.
Under the new decision, those seeking early retirement must also qualify for the disability benefit. Eligibility requires holding an official disability card issued by the Ministry of Social Development and having a permanent disability. Recognised categories include:
Autism spectrum disorder
Down syndrome
Intellectual disability (IQ score below 70, based on a standardised test)
Visual impairment (2/60 vision or less in both eyes, after correction and with assistive devices)
Hearing impairment (61 decibels or higher in both ears, after correction and with assistive devices)
Severe physical disabilities, as assessed through functional performance evaluations
Other disabilities as determined by the Social Protection Council in coordination with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Development
The decision also requires that cases needing reassessment for functional performance be determined jointly with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Development. The Social Protection Fund may request medical re-evaluations where necessary.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
