Saturday 04 / October / 2025
Oman operationalised its new Court of Investment and Commerce, which has already commenced operations as of 1st October 2025, following the recent issuance of Supreme Judicial Council Decision 433/2025. This decision implements the framework established by Royal Decree 35/2025 promulgated earlier this year. The Royal Decree sets out the Court’s structure, jurisdiction and procedures, while the Supreme Judicial Council’s Decision establishes the primary and appeal circuits and determines their seats and territorial jurisdictions across the governorates, ensuring nationwide access. The court is subordinate to the Supreme Judicial Council, with its main headquarters in the Governorate of Muscat.
Speaking exclusively to the Times of Oman, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Zadjali, Founding Partner of Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm, said that “the newly established court introduces a specialized, modern framework for resolving complex business disputes. It has exclusive jurisdiction over all lawsuits where one party is a merchant relating to his commercial works, and all disputes arising from investment contracts.
This encompasses key areas such as disputes between the partners or shareholders in commercial companies, banking operations, commercial papers, intellectual property rights, bankruptcy, and arbitration-related disputes. To ensure a smooth transition, all cases that now fall under the new court’s jurisdiction continue to be processed by the courts where they were originally filed, if they were filed before 1st October 2025.”
He further stated that, “the law mandates a fully electronic filing and case management system, ensuring efficiency and transparency. A dedicated Lawsuit Preparation Office will oversee the initial stages, verifying documents and ensuring procedural compliance before a case proceeds to a judge. The court operates under strict timelines, with a goal for circuits to decide on lawsuits within 90 days of case referral. To ensure its rulings are effectively implemented, one or more specialized enforcement judges are appointed to supervise the execution of judgments.”
He concluded that “this court serves as the primary forum for commercial and investment litigation. However, it explicitly excludes administrative, labour, and rental disputes, which will continue to be heard by their respective specialized courts. The establishment of this court represents a pivotal step towards enhancing Oman’s investment climate, providing a swift, specialized, and technologically advanced judicial process for the business community.”
(Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm ([email protected]), (+968 244 87 600) was established 18 years ago and is serving clients through its offices in Muscat and Sohar, as well as operating on a request basis in other areas. It offers legal representation across a wide range of practice areas that include Labour Law, Corporate, Commercial, Contracts, Banking and Finance, International Trade, Foreign Investment, Insurance, Maritime Law, Construction and Engineering Contracts, International Arbitration, Intellectual Property and more).
