Oman is positioning itself as a quieter, steadier alternative in the Gulf’s race to attract globally mobile capital and talent, rolling out a revamped 10-year “Golden Residency” pathway that is designed to give foreign investors and professionals longer-term certainty without the traditional dependence on short visa cycles.
Launched in late August 2025, the programme sits inside Oman’s broader Vision 2040 push to diversify beyond hydrocarbons, grow private-sector jobs and raise the country’s profile as a regional business base.
Why investors are paying attention now
In conversations across the region’s advisory and real-estate markets, the same set of investor motivations keeps resurfacing.
Policy certainty and renewability
The Golden Residency is structured as a long-term, renewable permit aimed at investors and skilled professionals. Official messaging frames the programme around long-term residence and a digital application journey.Geopolitical hedging and “Plan B” residency
The Gulf has become a magnet for “residency diversification” by entrepreneurs and internationally mobile families who want optionality, not necessarily citizenship. Oman is pitching itself as stable, neutral, and commercially connected.Multiple investment routes, not just property
Oman’s official programme page lists qualifying paths that go beyond real estate, including business investment, bonds, listed shares, fixed-term deposits, and a job-creation route.
What the Golden Residency offers
While the precise benefits depend on the applicant’s route and approvals, public descriptions consistently emphasise three features.
A 10-year residency horizon with family coverage
Oman’s local press coverage of the launch highlights family inclusion, including first-degree family members.
A menu of qualifying pathways
Oman’s official Golden Residency site lists eligibility categories that include:
starting or investing in a business
owning property in tourism zones
buying bonds or listed shares
holding a fixed-term bank deposit
employing 50 or more Omanis
nomination by an invested company
This breadth matters because it opens the programme to founders and operators who would rather deploy capital into companies or financial instruments than lock it into real estate.
A digital-first application experience
The government’s programme page stresses online application and tracking via the official portal.
Several business and policy write-ups also reference the Invest in Oman ecosystem as part of the investor onboarding story.
The investment thresholds are a key detail and they vary by route
One of the most important points for prospective applicants is that public summaries describe the programme using different minimums, depending on which route is being discussed.
Launch coverage in Oman says the programme has seven routes starting from RO 200,000 (about $520,000) based on an official presentation.
UNCTAD’s Investment Policy Monitor summary, meanwhile, describes a structure where a 10-year permit is tied to OMR 500,000 thresholds for certain routes such as company investment or property purchase, with a 5-year option at OMR 250,000.
The practical takeaway is straightforward: the minimum depends on the qualifying category, and investors should verify the current route-specific requirements in the official channels before committing capital.
Why Oman’s pitch differs from its Gulf neighbours
Across the Gulf, long-term visas have become an instrument of economic policy, not just immigration policy. A Business Insider overview of the region’s “golden visa” competition notes Oman entering a crowded field that includes the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain, with each jurisdiction calibrating price points and perks to attract a particular mix of wealth and skills.
Oman’s differentiators are less about flash and more about fit:
A “real economy” narrative tied to diversification and job creation, emphasised in local coverage of the launch.
A broad set of routes, including bonds, shares and deposits, not solely real estate.
A stability-first brand in official messaging, built around predictable policy and location at major trade crossroads.
What to watch next
As implementation moves from announcement to volume processing, investors and advisers will be watching a few practical indicators.
Processing times and renewal clarity
Long-term residency programmes often succeed or fail on operational detail: documentation standards, security checks, renewal procedures, and the predictability of approvals.Real estate demand inside tourism zones
Because property in designated tourism areas is explicitly listed as a qualifying route, developers and brokers will be tracking whether the Golden Residency creates measurable uplift in demand for eligible stock.Whether Oman adjusts thresholds
In the Gulf, competing programmes tend to evolve. If neighbouring jurisdictions lower entry requirements or add perks, Oman may respond with refinements of its own.
