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His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik promulgated Royal Decree No. 65/2026 to amend certain provisions of the Unified System for Insurance Protection Extension to GCC citizens employed in member states other than their own, the TAS News Service reported from Muscat on June 17, 2026. Article 1 of the decree states that the attached amendments apply directly to this unified system. Article 2 cancels all provisions that contradict the amendments or contravene their terms. The decree further directs publication in Oman’s Official Gazette with enforcement commencing the day after its appearance.
The unified system coordinates social insurance benefits for GCC nationals across borders, according to details published by the General Pension and Social Security Authority. It covers areas such as pension contributions and related protections for citizens from one member state working in another. The framework has seen incremental updates among GCC countries to support labour movement within the bloc. Bahrain introduced aligned social insurance protections for GCC citizens under the same system in July 2025, Lexis Middle East reported at the time.
Oman’s Ministry of Finance posted the decree on its official platform, confirming the amendments target the insurance extension mechanism for cross-border workers. The decree follows similar legislative steps taken by other GCC states to refine the regional insurance arrangements. No additional specifics on the content of the attached amendments appeared in the initial announcements from Muscat.
The GCC insurance protection extension program originated as a unified law to safeguard social security rights regardless of employment location within member states, according to documentation on the Qanoniah legal portal. Periodic decrees such as No. 65/2026 allow individual countries to adapt the shared system to national requirements while maintaining overall consistency. Oman Sultani Decree No. 65/2026 explicitly repeals conflicting earlier rules as part of this process.
Publication requirements under Article 3 ensure the decree and its amendments gain legal force only after appearing in the Official Gazette, the Arabian Stories report noted. This procedural step aligns with standard practice for Sultani decrees in Oman. The Ministry of Finance entry dated June 17, 2026, lists the full title as focusing on insurance protection for GCC citizens working abroad in GCC states.
