Oman considers compulsory expat work contract registration

Expatriate work contracts in Oman may soon need to be registered with the Ministry of Manpower the chairman of Oman Trade Union has been quoted as saying.

Nabhan Al Battashi told Times of Oman that the union was working with the ministry to make it compulsory for all companies to register national and expat work contracts.

Currently companies are only required to register contracts for Omanis, although some firms do send a statement to the ministry, according to the publication.

The move is designed to allow the ministry to better monitor the market and track contract violations, he said.

“Once work contracts are approved by the ministry, several issues and violations will be avoided in future. Violations, such as paying expat employees different salaries than the ones stated in the company document will be avoided. This will make the work atmosphere better for everyone,” Al Battashi was quoted as saying.

The new rule, which is still under discussion, is expected to be announced after the country’s new labour law.

Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry member Ahmed Al Hooti told the publication that the move would create a better atmosphere for the expat workforce and create a better image of the country when it came to human rights reports.

The move is expected to prevent the exploitation of expat workers and make inspections easier for the ministry.

Times of Oman also cited human resources manager Hussein Ali as saying it will protect the rights of companies, as sometimes violations are made by employees.