A new Investment and Commercial Court currently under establishment in the Sultanate of Oman will be mandated to adjudicate disputes within a 90-day timeframe, with more complex cases granted a possible 45-day extension.
According to Issa bin Hamad al Azri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Judicial Council, the time limits are designed to ensure the expeditious adjudication of commercial disputes — a cornerstone of Oman’s commitment to enhancing its investment- and business-friendly environment.
Speaking to Duqm Economist, the newsletter of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ), the official noted that swift adjudication of commercial cases will have a direct impact on improving the investment climate and preventing project delays or the prolonged freezing of capital. He added that shorter litigation timelines will also help reduce operational and legal costs borne by companies.
The Law of the Investment and Commercial Court, promulgated by Royal Decree 35/2025, regulates — among other objectives — litigation timelines to curb prolonged disputes. Article (28) requires cases to be adjudicated within a period not exceeding 90 days from the date of referral, with the possibility of an extension of up to 45 days for serious reasons.
A key underlying goal is to establish a specialised judicial framework capable of handling complex commercial cases related to foreign investment, international trade and modern commercial contracts, in line with Oman’s strategy of building a more competitive economy. The Court will also seek to entrench standards of specialised justice, accelerate procedures and improve the quality of judgments through judges with deep expertise and strong legal backgrounds in the fields of commerce and investment, he stated.
The Supreme Judicial Council announced last December that it plans to establish primary and appellate chambers of the Investment and Commercial Court across various governorates of Oman. Four appellate chambers will be created in Dhofar Governorate, Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, Al Batinah North Governorate and Al Sharqiyah North Governorate, each handling cases within its designated geographical jurisdiction.
Ten primary chambers will also be established in Dhofar, Musandam, Al Buraimi, Al Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah North and South, Al Sharqiyah North and South, Al Dhahirah, and Al Wusta Governorates, ensuring coverage across all wilayats of the Sultanate of Oman.
Legal experts note that the new court has a specialised mandate to hear commercial and investment-related disputes, including cases where one party is a merchant and the dispute arises from their commercial activities; disputes under investment contracts (including conflicts between partners or shareholders); matters involving commercial assets, foreign capital investment, banking and financial operations and maritime sales; as well as issues concerning intellectual property rights, competition and anti-monopoly practices, e-commerce and public–private partnership contracts. The court will also hear cases related to insolvency and bankruptcy, as well as arbitration-related claims, giving it exclusive jurisdiction over a wide range of complex business and investment disputes under specialised procedures.
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