An IMGlobalWealth.com News Report
Oman’s Sultan, Haitham bin Tariq, has granted citizenship to 226 individuals under a new royal decree, underscoring the tightly controlled but steadily evolving framework governing nationality in the sultanate.
The decree, numbered 46/2026 and published in the Official Gazette on 19 April, lists the approved recipients and takes immediate effect. It forms part of a broader pattern in which citizenship decisions remain firmly centralised, issued at the discretion of the ruler within the bounds of the law.
The move follows the introduction of a revised nationality regime under Royal Decree 17/2025, which codifies eligibility criteria while preserving significant executive latitude. Under the law, applicants must typically demonstrate at least 15 years of continuous legal residence, with limited absences, alongside fluency in Arabic and a record of good conduct.
Additional requirements include financial stability, sound health and, in most cases, the renunciation of prior citizenship – reflecting Oman’s longstanding reluctance to permit dual nationality except by explicit royal approval.
While such decrees are not uncommon, the scale of the latest cohort is notable. Previous grants have often been more modest – for instance, a 2025 decree conferred nationality on just 45 individuals. The larger intake may signal a more active use of citizenship as a policy tool, whether to reward long-term residents, strengthen social cohesion or address demographic considerations.
Yet the system remains deliberately selective. Citizenship in Oman is neither automatic nor broadly accessible; it is instead a privilege conferred sparingly, subject to stringent legal filters and final sovereign approval. The law also provides for revocation in cases deemed contrary to national interests, reinforcing the state’s control over both entry and exit from the national body.
In a region where citizenship policies are often opaque, Oman’s approach is at once formalised and discretionary: rules exist, but the ultimate decision rests with the Sultan.
