Foreign workers in Oman who have crossed the age of 60 can no longer obtain new or renewed work permits, after authorities quietly walked back a rule that had kept older private-sector employees eligible since early 2022, The Arabian Stories reported.
The rejections have already begun surfacing. Multiple expatriates told the outlet that permit renewals filed on their behalf by employers were turned down over the past several weeks, and a senior official with knowledge of the situation verified that the government is not currently approving permits for non-Omani staff older than 60.
For workers who stayed on past their sixtieth birthday assuming renewals would keep coming, the shift has thrown their standing into doubt. Several residents described being left unsure about both their jobs and their right to remain in the country, a concern felt most acutely by those who built their plans around continued eligibility.
The rule now being unwound dated to January 2022, when Oman scrapped an earlier cap that had blocked expatriates from renewing permits once they turned 60. The Ministry of Labour explained at the time that businesses kept requesting exemptions so they could hold on to seasoned staff who had aged out.
Labour Minister Dr Mahad bin Said Ba’owain framed the 2022 opening as a way for firms to keep skilled, productive people on the payroll, especially at companies that had already satisfied Omanisation targets in roles not set aside for Omani nationals.
That reasoning no longer governs practice. Employers seeking to renew permits for staff above the threshold are now meeting refusals, according to the report.
The ministry’s website still advertises permit-renewal services for non-Omani workers, though the relevant service page carries no stated age limit for the public to see.
