Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman is considering giving long-term residency visas to talented expatriates very soon within the second phase of the investor residency program, the Oman News Agency (ONA) reported.
The new decision is part of the implementation of the 2040 Vision in Oman.
This decision was announced by the Khalid Al Shuaibi, head of the National Programme for Investment and Export Development, during the presentation of the 2021 annual report of the Follow-up Unit for the implementation of Vision 2040 on Wednesday.
“After implementing the first phase of the programme, we discovered that there is an increasing demand from other potential categories of some innovators and important segments of the economy that we are seeking,” Khalid Al Shuaibi said.
Al-Shuaibi explained that a proposal was submitted to the Council of Ministers that includes new target groups, and it will be announced as soon as the proposal for the second phase of the residency program is approved.
Creative personalities, entrepreneurs, innovators and programmers can apply for the long-term visa scheme in the second phase.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion had earlier said that 463 expatriates in the country have been issued long-term residency cards so far.
In September 2021, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP) launched the Investors Residency Programme that grants foreign investors and retirees long residency in Oman.
Government data from 2020 showed that expatriates make up about 42 percent of Oman’s population.
