Muscat: The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism announced the enforcement of a new bylaw setting out detailed rules for real estate ownership, sale and management within Jabal Sifah resort
According to the decision, developers are required to submit master plans and cadastral drawings for approval by the competent authority and the Ministry. These must include details of land subdivision, common areas, utilities, roads, services, and the number and size of each sub-plot. No sales are permitted before obtaining the necessary approvals.
The bylaw obliges developers to complete procedures that enable non-Omani ownership, to prepare “house rules” regulating the rights and duties of owners and residents, and to circulate copies to all unit holders. Amendments may be made when project interests require, in coordination with the owners’ association.
Construction must comply with specifications agreed in the sales contract and with Ministry requirements, with purchasers receiving copies of architectural drawings. A model sales contract must be submitted to the competent authority, and any substantive amendments must be consulted. The contract must also stipulate penalties for delays or breaches alongside compensation clauses.
Developers are further obliged to appoint an audit office to review accounts relating to annual service charges and submit the results annually to the Ministry. An escrow account must be opened in the project’s name at a licensed Omani bank, where instalments from buyers or financiers are deposited. Certificates confirming progress of works must be issued by the project’s consultant.
In addition, a basic statute establishing the owners’ association must be prepared to govern the management of shared areas. All sold units must be registered in the real estate register in the name of the purchaser, and the developer must deliver the units within the contractual timeframe.
Developers must also insure the units on behalf of owners against all risks, with premiums collected separately from the annual service fee. Insurance proceeds are to be used to repair or reinstate damaged properties. Authorities must be notified in the event of an owner’s death or if resale takes place. An updated owners’ register must be maintained every six months.
Buyers’ and owners’ obligations
The bylaw requires purchasers to pay instalments on time, as agreed in the sales contract, and prohibits any disposal of the unit until it has been formally registered.
Owners are required to respect Omani laws, public order, Islamic values and Omani traditions. They must not infringe on the rights of neighbours, other unit owners, the developer, or shared spaces. Unit owners are also required to maintain the external appearance of their property, refrain from unauthorised alterations without approval, and preserve green areas within their plots.
Furthermore, owners are obligated to pay annual service charges in accordance with the system defined in the basic statute prepared by the developer. They must also notify the developer in cases of resale of the unit.
Implementation
The Ministry emphasised that the new bylaw provides a comprehensive framework to safeguard the rights of developers and property owners, ensure transparency in transactions, and maintain the integrity of integrated tourism projects.
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