Muscat Municipality to get tough on housing expatriate bachelors

Muscat: Anyone who offers to house expatriate bachelors in the residential or family neighborhoods will be subject to a fine of not less than RO 25 and not exceeding RO 50, a continuous fine of no less than RO5 and not more than RO 10 per day, and imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, depending on the magnitude of the violation and that the municipality shall remove the offense at the perpetrators’ expense.

Muscat Municipality said in a statement that it is keen to regulate the housing-related issues of some category of workers under the local order 23/92, which states that it is not permitted to establish complexes or buildings for single expatriate workers in residential or commercial residential areas.

Article 101 of the same local order stipulates that no building may be constructed or used except for the purpose for which the license was issued, and which is consistent with the category of use and the demographic nature of that area.