Oman’s New Financial Centre to Begin Company Registration Before End of 2026

The International Financial Centre of Oman (IFC Oman) will begin registering companies before the end of 2026 and commence full licensing operations in 2027, according to an announcement highlighted by Dubai-based corporate services firm Savvy Setup. A package of laws addressing business registration, financial services regulation, and independent dispute resolution is being finalised.

IFC Oman was established by Royal Decree No. 8/2026 on 12 January 2026 as an autonomous administrative and financial entity reporting directly to the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs. Located at Madinat Al Irfan in Muscat, the centre is structured around a common-law model operated by three separate entities: a governing authority, an independent regulatory body, and a dedicated dispute resolution authority with its own judicial courts.

In an operational update issued on 12 October 2026, IFC Oman stated that foundational legislation enabling the adoption of initial regulatory rulebooks will be issued shortly, with an online corporate registry moving into testing. Mahmood Al Aweini, Chairman of the IFC Oman Authority Board, confirmed that the centre's regulatory, digital, and legal frameworks are proceeding toward an operational launch.

The organisation's board of directors, appointed by Royal Order in June 2026, is chaired by His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs. Dr Kairat Kelimbetov, formerly the founding governor of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) in Kazakhstan from 2015 to 2022 and earlier governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, serves as Managing Director.

Savvy Setup observed that the launch of a common-law financial hub adjacent to the United Arab Emirates provides founders and regional enterprises with complementary corporate structuring pathways across the Gulf Cooperation Council.