Sultan’s Decree No. 19/2023 issuing the Maritime Law.

This Law, comprising 387 Articles organized into nine Chapters, aims to enhance the growth of Oman’s maritime sector, together with prioritising the importance of navigational safety, seafarer protection and environmental preservation. Furthermore, the Law encourages the development of shipbuilding and commercial maritime operations. Notable features of the Law encompass updated regulations for maritime personnel, including maritime labour contracts, vessel registration under the Omani flag, maritime accidents and penalties, maritime liens and enforcement, while also including provisions for ship agents, cargo agents, freight forwarders and brokers. The Law applies to all types of maritime navigation, ships and marine units, with the following exceptions (i) ships and naval units designated for military purposes; (ii) State-owned ships designated for public service for non-commercial purposes. Employees authorized to have judicial officers have the right to board and inspect ships and marine units and enter ports whose activities fall within the scope of applying the provisions of this Law. Article 7 prohibits any activity in the territorial sea of the Sultanate of Oman except after obtaining a navigational license, and within the limits of the tasks stated in the license.
Article 10 outlines the responsibilities of the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology regarding maritime navigation affairs. These responsibilities include supervising and developing maritime affairs, managing ports, establishing navigational aids, determining sea lanes, regulating traffic separation lanes, designating prohibited areas, surveying marine areas, setting fees for port usage and services, issuing licenses and certificates for marine businesses, and investigating maritime accidents within the maritime areas of the Sultanate of Oman and on the high seas involving Omani ships.
Furthermore, the Law (i) regulates the rights and obligations of the ship owners, the ship managers, the ship captains, the seafarers, the shippers, the carriers, the agents, the insurers, and other parties involved in maritime activities and services; (ii) sets the rules for the contracts related to maritime navigation, such as the shipbuilding contract, the maritime mortgage, the charter party, the maritime work contract, the maritime transport contract, and the maritime insurance contract; (iii) specifies the rules for the maritime incidents, such as the maritime collision, the maritime rescue, the general average, the abandoned ship, and the maritime investigation.
The nine chapters are titled as follows: (1) Definitions and general provisions; (2) Ship-related aspects including nationality, documents, supervision, inspections, ownership, building, and registration; (3) In-kind rights on the ship, encompassing lien rights, marine mortgages, and ship seizure; (4) Maritime individuals, covering ship owner, skipper, sailors, and maritime work organization; (5) The Ship's Agent, the Cargo Agent, and the Stevedoring Broker; (6) Ship exploitation, involving rental, sea carriage contracts, maritime carriage of persons, tourist sea transport, towing, guidance, and navigational aids; (7) Maritime accidents, including collisions, rescue operations, investigations, naval losses, and marine debris; (8) Marine insurance, detailing insurer and insured obligations, damage settlement, special provisions, cargo and liability insurance; (9) Penalties and administrative sanctions.