Foreign employees across Oman’s government bodies and private companies will fall under the Sultanate’s sick leave and extraordinary leave insurance scheme starting July 20, following a fresh ruling from the Social Protection Fund (SPF).
The change is mandated through SPF Decision No. 13/2026, which requires expatriate staff to enroll in the insurance programme. Coverage applies to those working within units of the State Administrative Apparatus, additional public legal entities, and private establishments that operate under the Labour Law.
Certain categories of foreign workers fall outside the ruling. The provisions exclude expatriates not covered by the Labour Law, with domestic workers among those left out of the scheme.
The insurance arrangement is not new to the country. Omani nationals have been enrolled in the sick leave and extraordinary leave scheme since July 2019, a system that reaches public and private sector staff, workers on temporary and training contracts, and retirees alike. With the latest decision, every qualifying foreign employee at government entities and Labour Law-governed private firms will now be folded into the same framework.
According to the SPF, the expansion is meant to widen the reach of social protection and bring coverage to a larger portion of the Sultanate’s labour force. The fund framed the step as part of a wider national push to reinforce Oman’s social protection architecture and tighten welfare guarantees for those in its workforce.
