Buy Property in Oman Through a Company: 2026 Rules and Costs

Buy Property in Oman Through a Company: 2026 Rules and Costs

This guide, checked on 24 October 2026, explains how to buy property in Oman through a company instead of in a personal name: which laws let a company hold property, where the limits sit, what the company itself must file every year, and how the tax position differs from that of an individual before and after the personal income tax starts on 1 January 2028. It also shows what the Golden Residency programme and the Owner Visa say when the owner on the title is a legal entity, and how four commercial and mixed-use projects on our listing pages fit those rules.

By the end you will be able to separate the three questions that are often blended together: whether a company may own a given unit, what ownership through a company costs in tax and compliance, and what a company-held unit does for residency. Every figure is stated as a ministry, regulator, adviser or developer reported it, with the date of the source, and every amount is shown in Omani rials (OMR) with US dollars in brackets at the pegged rate of 2.6008 dollars per rial. Readers who need the individual-buyer baseline first can start with our guide to freehold property in Oman and the article on commercial property for foreign investors, which this article extends from the company side.

Buy Property in Oman Through a Company: The Short Answer at a Glance

A company can hold property in Oman, but the answer depends on where the property stands and what kind of company is buying. Inside a licensed Integrated Tourism Complex (ITC) the published legal commentary says both Omani and non-Omani companies may own units and plots. Inside a special economic zone or free zone project, Royal Decree 38/2025 allows a licensed developer to sell units to non-Omani natural or legal persons as freehold. Elsewhere the Land Law keeps company ownership narrow. The table summarises the position on 24 October 2026 and names the source of each line.

The sections below follow the table: first what changes between a personal and a company purchase, then the investment law and the company formalities, then the ownership routes by location, our commercial listings, residency, tax arithmetic, costs and the paperwork.

Buy Property in Oman Through a Company or in Your Own Name: What Changes

The practical difference starts with who appears on the title. A purchase in a personal name registers the unit to an individual. A purchase through a company registers it to a legal person that has its own tax number, its own accounts, its own shareholders and its own filing calendar. Our guide to property tax in Oman records that most foreign buyers use their own name, which is the simpler route, and that a corporate purchase can change which fees, VAT treatment and succession rules apply. The table sets the two routes side by side using published sources.

Each row has a source in the sections that follow. Two points deserve attention at this stage. First, a company does not widen the list of places where property can be bought: the geographic and legal limits in Oman attach to the land and the project, and a company is subject to them just as an individual is. Second, a company adds a layer of recurring cost and compliance that does not exist for an individual today, so the comparison is between two sets of obligations and not simply between two names on a deed.

The Foreign Capital Investment Law (Royal Decree 50/2019) and the Company Behind the Purchase

The Foreign Capital Investment Law took effect on 1 January 2020, six months after publication, according to the WIPO Lex record of the Ministry of Legal Affairs translation. It defines a foreign investor as a natural or legal non-Omani person who establishes an investment project in Oman (Article 1(h)). Article 6 says foreign investment is carried out through an establishment or company in a permitted activity, with the foreign capital owned in whole or in part by the investor, and Deloitte’s January 2026 summary states the effect plainly: the law allows 100% foreign participation in an Omani company, and a non-Omani must obtain a licence from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to engage in trade or to acquire an interest in the capital of an Omani company.

Several other articles matter for a company that exists to hold property. Article 3 states that foreigners may not invest except under the law. Article 5 gives the Investment Services Centre in the ministry the job of registering the foreign investor and helping obtain approvals. Article 14 leaves the list of activities closed to foreign investment to a ministerial decision. Article 26 lets investors transfer funds abroad freely, including returns and sale proceeds, which matches Deloitte’s note that Oman has no exchange controls on inbound or outbound investment or on the repatriation of capital or profits, although administrative procedures apply. Article 27 allows a foreign investor to transfer the ownership of a project, in whole or in part, to another foreign or Omani investor, provided the project continues.

The law says less about land than many summaries suggest. Article 19 provides that land and real estate for a project may be obtained through long-term lease or usufruct, under rules set by regulation, without following the usufruct decree and the Land Law. Oman Observer’s report on the executive regulations describes the process: an application states the intended use, the space and the location, the authority has 20 working days to decide, silence counts as rejection and any refusal must be reasoned; an approved lease runs for 50 years and can be renewed, the land can be used only for the approved purpose, and a change of purpose needs approval from the competent authority and the leasing authority. That is a route for the land an investment project needs. It is not a rule that lets a foreign-owned company buy any plot or unit freehold.

The same report records the licensing mechanics. Approvals are decided within 14 days when the application is complete and silence counts as approval, and the investment licence is issued within three working days after all approvals are obtained. After licensing the investor files an annual report within 60 days of the end of the fiscal year, with audited financial statements and details of workforce and nationalities; a violation gives the investor 30 days to correct it, extendable once, and the licence is cancelled if the entity ceases to exist or stays inactive for two years. Whether a company that only holds a rental unit falls under this licensing path depends on the activity entered in its commercial register, and the licence simulator on the national business portal is the tool the Ministry provides to identify regulated activities.

One further provision links the investment law to residency. The Golden Residency brochure lists a pathway by which a company incorporated under the Foreign Capital Investment Law may nominate a partner or authorised signatory for the 10-year residency, provided the company’s capital is not less than OMR 200,000 ($520,160). That pathway rests on the company’s capital and is separate from the property pathway discussed later.

Forming the Company: Commercial Register, Company Types and the Oman Business Platform

Companies in Oman are registered with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion through the Oman Business Platform at business.gov.om, formerly called Invest Easy. Gulf News, in an article last updated on 9 May 2023, lists the services on the platform: a commercial name availability check, new commercial registration, a licence simulator that shows the cost, approvals and processing time for a chosen activity, updates to commercial registrations, public announcements, and the closure of a company or the cancellation of a registration. The licence simulator is the practical starting point, because registration and licensing are separate steps and the activity chosen decides which approvals follow.

The company form comes from the Commercial Companies Law, Royal Decree 18/2019. Curtis, writing in February 2019, recorded the changes that matter to a small property-holding vehicle. The maximum number of shareholders in a standard limited liability company (LLC) rose from 40 to 50, the OMR 20,000 minimum share capital for LLCs was removed, and a new sole-shareholder LLC was introduced in which one natural or juristic person holds all the capital; a natural person may set up only one such company and the company cannot set up another. Capital contributions to an LLC may be cash or tangible property only. Deloitte lists the principal entity types as the joint stock company, the LLC, the sole proprietorship company, partnerships, joint ventures and the branch of a foreign company, and adds that a business registered in Oman must keep full accounting records in accordance with IFRS.

The word holding company has a defined meaning in the same law. Curtis notes that holding companies must be joint stock companies with paid-up capital of at least OMR 2 million ($5.2 million), and can no longer be LLCs, while closed joint stock companies need OMR 500,000 ($1.3 million) and public joint stock companies OMR 2 million. A company whose only purpose is to own a shop or an apartment is therefore not a holding company in the statutory sense, and it is ordinarily described by its legal form, such as an LLC. Deloitte adds that Oman has no holding company regime and no participation exemption in its tax rules, so a tax advantage should not be assumed from the label.

After incorporation the company registers with the tax authorities. Deloitte states that a foreign business must register by filing a declaration of business particulars and supporting documents, and that all taxpayers must obtain a tax card, with the tax card number quoted on contracts, invoices and correspondence with the authorities. The company’s name on the commercial register, the tax card and the bank account is the name that should appear on the reservation form, the sale and purchase agreement and the payment receipts for the property. Our guides to opening a bank account in Oman and to transferring money for a property purchase cover the payment side.

Can a Company Hold Freehold in an Integrated Tourism Complex?

Yes, according to the legal commentary on the ITC regime. The Times of Oman published an opinion by Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Zadjali of Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm on 25 July 2026 which states that Omani and non-Omani individuals and companies may own built units or plots in an ITC for residential or investment purposes. Alala, a law firm, writes that Royal Decree 12/2006 permits non-Omani individuals and corporate entities to own land and built units within approved ITC projects as an exception to the general restriction, and that eligible property includes villas, apartments and commercial units as well as undeveloped plots designated for construction. Curtis adds that ITCs generally combine commercial, residential and tourism components, which is why retail and office space is sold inside them. Our comparison of Oman’s Integrated Tourism Complexes lists the communities.

Title is registered with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning in the owner’s name, and each transfer must be registered with the Real Estate Registry to be enforceable, while the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism checks compliance with the ITC licence conditions for foreign ownership transfers, according to Alala. Our article on property registration in Oman follows the registration steps in more detail. Several conditions in the Times of Oman opinion apply to a company in the same way as to an individual:

• A plot registered in the owner’s name starts a four-year period to build or put the land to its intended use. The Ministry of Housing can grant up to two more years on the Ministry of Tourism’s recommendation if the owner applies before the original period ends and gives sufficient justification.
• Until construction is complete the owner cannot sell or otherwise dispose of the plot, and a mortgage before completion is allowed only to finance the building work.
• In Musandam ITCs non-Omanis may acquire only already-built units, under a usufruct of no more than 99 years.
• The Ministerial Committee for Tourism can ask that certain sites be restricted to Omanis.

The scale of the system explains why company buyers meet this route often. Oman Observer reported in June 2025 that about 19 ITCs were operational or under development as of mid-2023, that the Ministry announced 13 more under development in March 2025 and that 12 were in the pipeline. A company is optional on this route, not a requirement: The Pearl Muscat Hills listing, discussed below, states that its shops are sold on full freehold title to buyers of any nationality and that no Omani sponsor or local company is required.

Outside an ITC: Land Law Limits, Usufruct and Special Economic Zones

Outside the ITC regime the position for a company is narrower and depends on the nationality of its shareholders. Curtis’s 2017 note explains the framework under the Land Law (Royal Decree 5/80). Only LLCs that are wholly Omani or wholly GCC-owned, and joint stock companies with at least 30% Omani shareholding, may own real estate. Wholly GCC-owned companies may own it for investment purposes, and a GCC entity buying a vacant plot must develop it within four years. Ownership by companies is generally limited to property used as a warehouse, staff accommodation, administrative offices or similar premises for the company’s objectives, with real estate development companies as the main exception. Because that note was written in 2017, before the 2019 investment law, it is read here as a description of the Land Law’s structure and not as a statement of every later change. Our guide for GCC citizens buying property in Oman covers the separate GCC position.

A company that cannot own land can still hold a right in it. Curtis describes usufruct as the closest equivalent to freehold: the holder may use and exploit the land as an owner, subject to the contract and to returning it at the end, for up to 50 years on government land, extendable by similar periods, and the right can be mortgaged. For entities not entitled to own land, the note says usufruct is granted for projects that contribute to economic or social development. Ministerial Decision 357/2020, summarised by Trowers and Hamlins on 26 October 2020, is a different instrument: it is written for individual expatriates, aged 23 or over with two years of residence, buying apartments in multi-storey buildings in licensed locations, with a usufruct of up to 50 years extendable to 99 and a 40% cap per building. It does not apply to a company buyer and does not cover shops or offices.

Geography matters as well. Oman Observer reported on 9 March 2022 that ownership by non-Omanis is barred in a list of areas, including Musandam, Al Buraimi, Al Dhahirah and Al Wusta governorates, Dhofar except the Wilayat of Salalah, several wilayats and mountain areas, islands and agricultural land, but that the ban does not cover land and property in ITCs in any governorate. These restrictions attach to the land, so a company buyer meets them in the same way as an individual.

The third route is the special economic zone or free zone. Royal Decree 38/2025 took effect on 14 April 2025, according to Oman Observer. Article 42 says land for real estate development projects is allocated to the developer by usufruct and that the developer may sell the units to non-Omanis, whether natural or legal persons, as freehold in the manner the regulation specifies. Article 8 separately allows the capital of the operator, the enterprise and the real estate developer to be wholly owned by non-Omanis. The Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones issued the executive regulation, Regulation 81/2026, on 20 September 2026, according to Times of Oman; it covers licensing of development projects, off-plan sales and freehold ownership of units by non-Omanis in projects to which the prescribed provisions apply, and it requires escrow arrangements and sets financial and technical requirements that must be met before units are marketed. The reports do not describe separate conditions for company buyers, so the project’s own licence and the unit’s registration extract are the documents that show whether a particular building qualifies.

How Our Commercial Listings Fit a Company Purchase

Four projects on our pages bring the company question into focus because they include shops, offices or mixed-use space and describe their ownership route in their own terms. The table lists what each page states, and the paragraphs after it add the details that matter to a company buyer.

Central 7 and Uptown Muscat stand in Knowledge Oasis Muscat, the technology park at Rusayl run by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn), and our pages state that this is not an ITC. For a company buyer this is where the Land Law discussion above becomes concrete: the tenure of a named unit follows the title designation in the sale and purchase agreement and project documents, and the page for Central 7 lists the Omani company route among the alternatives to freehold. Our earlier article on commercial property in Oman for foreign investors sets out the Knowledge Oasis position and the Royal Decree 38/2025 reading in full. The developer profiles for Wujha, Dar Arabia and Al Osool give background on the three developers, and the wider developer directory lists the others.

The Muscat Hills pair shows a different pattern. Dar Muscat Hills lists small units: the 15 shops total 607.08 m² (349.55 m² on the ground floor plus 257.53 m² on the second level), an average of 40.47 m² each, and the 4 offices total 460.26 m², an average of 115.06 m². The Pearl lists larger frontages, with 4,000 m² across 37 shops giving an average of about 108 m² (4,000 ÷ 37 = 108.1). Price is on request for both, so the pages offer no price to run company arithmetic against. Our guide to the Muscat Hills community covers the master plan, golf course and other products, and the Pearl and Dar Muscat Hills pages state that the payment plan or handover date is written into the reservation and sale documents.

A company buyer follows the same payment logic as a personal buyer, but the entity that pays must be the entity that signs. As an illustration of the schedule on the Uptown Muscat page, the studio price of OMR 41,103 ($106,900) carries a reservation payment of 15%, which is OMR 6,165 ($16,035), leaving 85%, or OMR 34,938 ($90,866), to be paid over five years. For Central 7, where the page gives 20% on booking and quarterly instalments to completion, a hypothetical unit of OMR 150,000 ($390,120) would need OMR 30,000 ($78,024) on booking. These are illustrations of the stated percentages, not quotes, and the dated schedule in the sale and purchase agreement is the binding one. Our article on Royal Decree 79/2025 explains the escrow protection that applies to off-plan payments, and BSA Law’s summary records that the decree requires an independent escrow account for each project, a developer licence, registration of off-plan units and an owners association, and that it has been in force since March 2026.

Residency When a Company Holds the Property

Residency is where the owner’s identity on the title matters most, and the two routes treat a legal entity differently. The Golden Residency programme brochure, issued under the omanresidence.gov.om name, sets a single investment value of OMR 200,000 ($520,160) across seven pathways for a 10-year residency. For the real estate pathway it states three conditions: the applicant must own fully constructed residential, commercial or tourism units in an ITC, the title deed must be in the name of the investor, and if the property is owned by a company a final audited balance sheet must be submitted. The documents it lists are the title deed, the sales contract and a letter from the developer serving as the property ownership certificate. The residency covers first-degree family members, and the brochure adds permission to own one property outside ITCs for residential, commercial or industrial use.

The Owner Visa is a separate instrument. Oman Observer reported on 25 June 2026 that Royal Oman Police Decision 87/2026, published in Official Gazette No. 1653, lets foreign owners of units obtain a sponsor-free visa or residency on a certificate from the competent authority, and that legal representatives of a legal entity owning the unit may also be granted the visa, with entry required within three months of issuance. The visa is valid for not less than six months and not more than one year, renewable for a similar period, each entry allows up to three months, and the spouse and first-degree relatives may be included. Residency ends if ownership of the unit is transferred, and the family’s residency ends with it. The report names the certificate from the competent authority as the basis, so the certificate issued for the named unit is the document the visa rests on. No minimum value is stated for the Owner Visa. Our article on Golden Residency versus the Owner Visa covers the two routes side by side.

The timing difference is worth reading carefully. The Golden Residency condition refers to fully constructed units, while the Owner Visa wording covers a unit whose registration is not finished. A company buying off-plan in a project such as Dar Muscat Hills, whose developer targets the beginning of December 2029, therefore has no completed unit on the brochure’s wording until handover. The threshold arithmetic also differs for commercial units: a unit of OMR 200,000 is $520,160, and a shop of 40.47 m², the average Dar Muscat Hills shop, would need a price of about OMR 4,942 per square metre ($12,853) to reach that figure alone (200,000 ÷ 40.47). Whether a particular unit qualifies depends on its final price and on its title category, both of which are stated in the developer’s documents.

Tax if You Buy Property in Oman Through a Company: Worked Arithmetic

Tax is the area where a company route and a personal route diverge most, and the divergence changes in 2028. In 2026 Deloitte records that neither residents nor non-residents who are individuals pay income or capital gains tax in Oman, while a company pays corporate income tax at 15% on taxable income, which is gross income after allowable expenses. Capital gains from the sale of fixed assets are taxed at the same rate as ordinary income, there is no surtax and no alternative minimum tax, losses carry forward for five years and cannot be carried back, and consolidated returns are not permitted. A 3% rate applies to small companies as defined. The global minimum tax rules apply to multinational groups with consolidated revenue of at least EUR 750 million, which is not the profile of a company holding one unit.

From 1 January 2028 the picture for individuals changes. Royal Decree 56/2025 was issued on 22 June 2025 and published in the Official Gazette on 30 June 2025, and KPMG’s July 2025 alert records a personal income tax of 5% on net taxable income above OMR 42,000 ($109,234) a year. Renting and leasing of immovable property, dividends and capital gains on real estate are among the taxable sources. For rent the deductible cost is 15% of total income or the actual expenses incurred, with an election between the two every three years. The exemptions include the disposal of a primary residence after two years from notifying the authorities and the disposal of a secondary residence once. A shop or an office is neither, so a gain on it falls under the capital gains source. The taxable person is a natural person, so the personal tax applies to the individual owner or shareholder and not to the company itself. Tax residents, present in Oman more than 183 days in a tax year, are taxed on worldwide income, and non-residents on Oman-sourced income. Our rent versus buy article applies the same 2028 rules to a residential case.

The table compares the two routes in four illustrations. They use the published rates and deductions and a set of stated assumptions, and they are not forecasts. In the rental cases the company is assumed to have allowable expenses equal to the 15% fixed deduction that KPMG records for individuals, so that both routes start from the same net rent. In the sale case the only cost deducted is the 3% acquisition fee, and the buyer is assumed to pay the fee on the sale.

On these assumptions the company route costs more income tax in each case shown, and the gap is widest where the individual’s income stays under the OMR 42,000 line. The figures leave out other income of the individual, which would use up part of the band, and they depend on the executive regulations of the personal tax law, which KPMG says were due within 12 months of publication in the Official Gazette. Our guide to renting out an Oman property from abroad and the article on selling property in Oman apply the same rules to the residential case. The tax comparison also leaves aside non-tax reasons for using a company, such as co-ownership by several people under one set of shareholder rights, which the table cannot measure.

Dividends paid to non-residents are an area where the 2026 position is favourable on its face. Deloitte records that the 10% withholding tax on dividends paid to non-residents by joint stock companies has been indefinitely suspended by a royal directive of 11 January 2023, and that dividends received from a resident company are not taxable in the hands of a corporate shareholder. Royalties and technical or management fees paid to non-residents are subject to 10% withholding. Oman has concluded over 30 tax treaties, per Deloitte, and the Tax Authority may allow a credit for foreign tax paid on a case-by-case basis, so the home-country tax position of the shareholder is a separate question that depends on the country of residence.

Purchase Costs and VAT When a Company Is the Buyer

Two government charges sit on top of the price. The first is the registration charge: Deloitte’s January 2026 summary records stamp duty on the acquisition of real estate at 3% of the sales value, and Times of Oman reported on 4 November 2020 that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning cut real estate transaction fees from 5% to 3% from 3 November 2020. Our listing pages give the same 3% as a one-time transfer fee for foreign buyers.

The second is VAT at 5%. In the Tax Authority’s real estate guide as summarised by Deloitte, the sale and renting of commercial property, including warehouses, stores and car parking, is standard-rated, the first supply of a new residential unit is standard-rated, and the resale and rental of residential property and the sale of undeveloped land are exempt. For a company the VAT is not necessarily a final cost. The VAT return that Deloitte describes includes the amount of recoverable input VAT on costs, and the guide states that input VAT on new commercial development is fully recoverable when all intended supplies are taxable. A company that buys a commercial unit to lease it is making a taxable supply when it charges rent, so the VAT on the purchase can normally be claimed through its quarterly return once it is registered; a company that buys a unit for exempt residential letting is in a different position. Registration is mandatory when taxable turnover reaches OMR 38,500 ($100,131) over a rolling 12 months and voluntary from OMR 19,250 ($50,065). On the OMR 60,000 rent used above, VAT at 5% is OMR 3,000 ($7,802) charged to the tenant, and the rent exceeds the mandatory line.

The unit is hypothetical and is not a quote for any project. Whether a quoted price includes VAT is stated in the sale and purchase agreement, and Deloitte’s note adds that a contract signed before 16 April 2021 with no VAT clause is treated as VAT-inclusive. Legal fees, formation and audit costs, bank charges and any developer administration fee come on top and are quoted by the parties involved. Our article on the Omani rial peg explains why the dollar amounts above stay fixed.

Running the Company After Completion: Filings and Registers

A company that owns property has a calendar of obligations that an individual does not. The table collects those that sources describe, with the penalty where one is given. The tax year is the calendar year, and accounts are usually kept in OMR.

The beneficial owner register deserves a closer look because it answers a common assumption. Lexis records that Ministerial Decision 424/2023 repealed the earlier decision 630/2022, defines a beneficial owner as a natural person who owns or controls an entity directly or indirectly with final effective control, covers commercial companies, and requires a register that is kept up to date. A company is therefore not a way to keep the identity of the person behind a property out of the records: the person with a 25% or larger share is recorded in the company’s register, while the company’s own name appears on the title. The commercial lease side adds a registration step with Muscat Municipality, which our article on commercial property in Oman covers together with VAT on rent.

Risks When You Buy Property in Oman Through a Company

The risks below are drawn from the rules cited above and from the points our other guides raise. They describe features of the structure and are not a view on whether a company suits a given buyer.

• Recurring tax and cost. The arithmetic above shows that corporate tax at 15% applies to rent and gains where an individual would pay nothing in 2026 and a smaller amount from 2028. Audited statements, a tax return and a register add professional fees that the sources do not price.
• A residency link that depends on paperwork. The Golden Residency brochure requires a final audited balance sheet when a company owns the unit and keeps the title deed requirement in the investor’s name. The Owner Visa wording refers to the legal representative of the entity, and the residency ends if ownership of the unit is transferred.
• Succession. Our guide to inheritance for foreign property owners in Oman says corporate structures change the mechanics but do not replace a will that is checked against Omani rules. Deloitte records no inheritance or estate tax. What passes to heirs is the shares, and their treatment depends on the company’s articles and the shareholder’s own estate plan.
• Selling the company instead of the property. Article 27 of the investment law allows the transfer of a project in whole or in part to another investor if the project continues. A buyer of shares in a property-holding company inherits the company’s history, tax filings and liabilities, and should ask in writing how the Real Estate Registry and the Tax Authority treat the transfer, because the stamp duty rule quoted by Deloitte is written for the acquisition of real estate.
• Plot obligations stay with the owner. A company holding an ITC plot is bound by the same four-year building period and the same ban on selling the plot before completion that the Times of Oman opinion describes.
• Dormancy. The investment law regulations allow a licence to be cancelled when the entity ceases to exist or is inactive for two years, and the national platform has a procedure to close a company, so a company that outlives its purpose has to be kept compliant or formally closed.
• Governance among several shareholders. Curtis records that the Commercial Companies Law set rules on general meetings, proxies and board quorum, with many deadlines shortened, so shareholders who buy together in one company are bound by those rules and by their own articles.
• Financing. A bank lends against a company on its own criteria, and our guide to mortgages in Oman for foreigners describes the individual position. The Times of Oman opinion allows a mortgage on an ITC plot before completion only to finance construction.

Disputes about delays are a separate subject that a company buyer shares with every off-plan buyer, and our article on buyer rights when a developer is late in Oman sets out what the escrow and licence rules give the buyer.

Document Checklist for a Company Purchase

The checklist combines the documents the sources name for the company, the property and the residency application. It is a reading aid and does not replace review by an Omani lawyer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a foreigner buy property in Oman through a company?

Yes, where the property stands in a location that allows foreign or company ownership. Deloitte confirms that the Foreign Capital Investment Law allows 100% foreign participation in an Omani company, and the Times of Oman legal opinion of 25 July 2026 says companies may own units and plots in an ITC. To buy property in Oman through a company outside an ITC or a special zone, the Land Law limits described by Curtis apply.

Can a foreign company own an ITC unit directly, without an Omani subsidiary?

The sources describe the ITC rule in terms of non-Omani individuals and companies, and Alala says non-Omani corporate entities are permitted to own land and built units within approved ITC projects. Registration, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism’s compliance check and the Golden Residency balance sheet requirement are the practical steps that follow for a company title.

Is a company required to buy property in an ITC?

No. The Pearl Muscat Hills listing states that its shops are sold on full freehold title to buyers of any nationality and that no Omani sponsor or local company is required. A decision to buy property in Oman through a company is therefore a choice about structure, not a legal precondition on that page.

Does a company pay more tax than an individual?

On the published 2026 rules, yes: a company pays 15% corporate tax on taxable income and on capital gains, while Deloitte records no income or capital gains tax on individuals. From 1 January 2028 individuals pay 5% above OMR 42,000, so the gap narrows but remains in the worked examples above, such as OMR 450 for an individual against OMR 7,650 for a company on OMR 60,000 of gross rent. If you buy property in Oman through a company, dividends to individual shareholders are also a listed personal income tax source from 2028.

Does a company-held property qualify for Golden Residency?

The programme brochure says the unit must be a fully constructed residential, commercial or tourism unit in an ITC worth at least OMR 200,000 ($520,160), the title deed must be in the investor’s name, and a final audited balance sheet must be submitted if a company owns the property. The Royal Oman Police decides each application. Anyone who plans to buy property in Oman through a company for this route should read those three conditions against the title.

Can a company owner get the Owner Visa?

Oman Observer’s report of Royal Oman Police Decision 87/2026 says legal representatives of a legal entity owning the unit may be granted the Property Owner Visa, with entry within three months of issuance. The visa is valid for six months to one year, renewable, and ends with the family’s residency if ownership of the unit is transferred. No minimum property value is stated.

What VAT applies when a company buys commercial property?

The Tax Authority’s real estate guide, as summarised by Deloitte, treats the sale and renting of commercial property as standard-rated at 5%. A VAT-registered company that leases the unit can claim the VAT as input VAT on its return. Mandatory registration starts at taxable turnover of OMR 38,500 ($100,131), and residential resale and rent are exempt.

Which transfer charge applies?

Deloitte’s January 2026 Oman Highlights records stamp duty on the acquisition of real estate at 3% of the sales value, and Times of Oman reported on 4 November 2020 that the Ministry cut the fee from 5% to 3%. On an OMR 200,000 ($520,160) unit that is OMR 6,000 ($15,605). The figure is the same whether you buy property in Oman through a company or in a personal name, according to the sources, which state the rate without a distinction by buyer type.

What registers and filings does the company need?

A commercial register entry on the Oman Business Platform, a tax card, an IFRS-based set of accounts, a corporate return with audited statements within four months of year end, a beneficial owner register under Ministerial Decision 424/2023 and, once registered, quarterly VAT returns. A company created to buy property in Oman through a company structure takes on all of these before the first rent is received.

Last checked: 24 October 2026. Sources: WIPO Lex, Foreign Capital Investment Law (Royal Decree 50/2019); Oman Observer, executive regulations of the Foreign Capital Investment Law; Deloitte, Oman Highlights 2026; Deloitte, Tax Authority real estate VAT guide; Curtis, corporate ownership of land; Curtis, new Commercial Companies Law; Oman Observer, freehold in special economic zones; OPAZ, Royal Decree 38/2025; Times of Oman, Regulation 81/2026; Times of Oman, ITC legal framework; Alala, ITC ownership; Oman Observer, ownership restrictions by area; Trowers and Hamlins, Ministerial Decision 357/2020; Oman Golden Residency programme brochure; Oman Observer, Owner Visa; KPMG, Oman personal income tax law; Lexis, real beneficiary regulations; Times of Oman, real estate fee reduction; Gulf News, Invest Easy portal; BSA Law, Royal Decree 79/2025.