Civil and Commercial Litigation in Oman: Courts, Procedure and Recent Reforms

A practical guide to civil and commercial litigation in Oman: court structure, filing a claim, fast-track procedures and the new Investment and Trade Court.

If you have a civil or commercial dispute in Oman, the court system has changed significantly in recent years, with faster procedures for some disputes and a new specialist commercial court. Here is an overview.

The court structure

Oman's courts are organised in tiers: Courts of First Instance, Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Civil and commercial procedure is governed mainly by the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law (Royal Decree No. 29 of 2002).

The new Investment and Trade Court

Royal Decree No. 35 of 2025 established the Investment and Trade Court, which has handled new cases since 1 October 2025. It has exclusive jurisdiction over commercial disputes between businesses and disputes under investment contracts — including shareholder disputes, foreign investment, banking, bankruptcy, arbitration-related matters, intellectual property, competition, e-commerce and public-private partnerships. Labour, rental and administrative disputes stay with the ordinary courts. The court has first-instance and appeal circuits and works to tight timetables: for example, 15 days for the defendant's response and a target of about 90 days to decide a case after referral.

Fast-track procedures

The law simplifying judicial proceedings (Royal Decree No. 125 of 2020) introduced faster procedures, with online filing, for certain disputes — including landlord–tenant disputes, labour disputes (after the Ministry of Labour's settlement stage), construction contract disputes and claims based on acknowledged debts or signed documents. Courts work to short deadlines, and appeal rights depend on the value of the claim.

Filing a claim

• The statement of claim must be in Arabic, and foreign-language documents need translation by a licensed translator.
• Court fees are generally based on the value of the claim.
• Representation by an Omani lawyer is required for larger claims, and foreign claimants usually need a properly attested power of attorney.
• Electronic filing is increasingly available.

Evidence and timing

Omani courts decide most civil and commercial cases mainly on documents and court-appointed expert reports; oral witness evidence is less common. Straightforward cases can conclude within about a year including appeal, while cases that reach the Supreme Court take longer.

Enforcement

Oman is a party to the New York Convention (since 1998) and to the GCC convention on enforcing judgments and awards. Foreign court judgments are enforced subject to conditions in Omani law, including reciprocity.

Practical tips

1. Check which court has jurisdiction — especially whether your dispute now belongs to the Investment and Trade Court.
2. Prepare Arabic translations early.
3. Organise your documents for the court expert: contracts, invoices, correspondence and a clear chronology.
4. Note the time limits for appeals as soon as a judgment is issued.

How AI can help

AI can help you build a clear chronology, organise documents for the expert and prepare a first draft of your statement of claim in formal Arabic for your lawyer to review.

Try it: prepare your case with LexArab's litigation tools.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Procedures in Oman have changed recently; consult a licensed Omani lawyer.