Oman’s new nationality law has provided clearer outlines on how to obtain citizenship [Getty]
The Omani government has been granted greater powers to revoke the citizenships of its nationals, including for insulting the country’s ruler Sultan Haithem Bin Tarik Al-Said or the sultanate.
Sultan Haithem issued a series of royal decrees on citizenship last week, including guidelines for foreigners seeking to obtain Omani nationality.
Citizenship can be revoked for engaging in activities “considered harmful to the sultanate’s interests”, including insulting the country or its ruler, or “working for foreign states or hostile organisations against Oman’s interests”.
Activists who criticise the Omani government could be vulnerable to having their citizenship revoked, in a move likely to spark alarm among rights groups. Nationality can be reinstated under limited circumstances, such as “the grounds for revocation are no longer valid”.
Sultan Haithem has reinstated the citizenship of dozens of people since he became the country’s ruler in 2020.
Omani law previously stated: “Those who want to reclaim the citizenship must be of good conduct and behaviour, and that they must not have been previously convicted of a felony or crime against honour, and be free from contagious disease
It follows a trend among Gulf states revoking the citizenships of government critics, making them stateless or providing with alternative nationalities, such as the Comoros Islands.
Rights groups have talked about the “chilling effect” such moves could have on civil society and public debate, which comes amid a crackdown on dissent in the Gulf region.
Oman’s ministry of interior will oversee the nationality process, granting it the power to reject applications with no reason given while appeals will no longer go to courts.
Gulf citizenship is notoriously difficult to obtain and comes with an array of benefits including access to free education, health, permanent residency, and social services.
Citizenships can also be revoked for applicants providing false information or having a second nationality.
Some have welcomed the clearer guidelines on obtaining citizenship, which include living in the sultanate continuously for 15 years, being proficient in Arabic, and having a record of good conduct.
It also includes guidelines on how foreign men and women married to Omani spouses or having children with Omani nationality can obtain citizenship.
Local Omani media said the laws are an update of 2014Â Â aims to streamline the citizenship process by “prioritising national interests“.
