Muscat: The Ministry announced that the cancellations were carried out across four successive stages, in coordination with relevant government bodies, and in full alignment with the Commercial Registry Law and its executive regulations. The initiative aims to readjust commercial data, prevent distortions in private-sector indicators, and safeguard the rights of stakeholders.

Nasra bint Sultan Al Habsi, Director General of Trade at the Ministry, said the operation followed a thorough verification process to ensure that the records were free from outstanding obligations with the Tax Authority, Ministry of Labour, and the Royal Oman Police. Lists of targeted records were also published for 30 days to comply with legal requirements.

According to Al Habsi,

• The first package saw the cancellation of 3,410 records dating back to 1970–1999,
• The second package removed 35,000 records from 2000–2020,
• The third package eliminated 1,116 records, and
• The fourth package concluded with the deregistration of 2,638 records between March and November 2025.

She explained that many inactive records had created inaccurate representations of Oman’s private-sector growth, SME expansion, and labour market dynamics. The move also enforced Article 14 of the executive regulations, tightening discipline within the commercial regulatory framework and preventing the continued presence of suspended or non-compliant entities in official databases.

Al Habsi highlighted that the operation has significantly improved the performance of digital systems connected to the commercial register, including the “Oman Business” platform. By eliminating outdated or duplicate entries, the government reduced data-processing burdens and strengthened electronic integration across agencies.

The cancellations also benefit business owners, allowing those with long-expired records to resolve liabilities that no longer existed in reality, avoid accumulating fines, and open new commercial registers without legal constraints. Additionally, the Ministry of Labour’s employer lists were updated to remove non-existent entities, improving the accuracy of Omanization and labour market statistics.

Describing the initiative as a “radical solution to decades-old issues,” Al Habsi said it reflects the Ministry’s commitment to transparent legislative enforcement, clean data practices, and a more credible business environment. She confirmed that systematic database reviews and deregistrations will continue regularly to ensure sustained governance and digital efficiency.

Nasra bint Sultan Al Habsi stressed that the Ministry is proceeding with the periodic and systematic implementation of review and deregistration processes, in order to ensure the updating of the commercial database, enhance governance, raise the efficiency of the digital system, and establish a more transparent and sustainable business environment in the Sultanate of Oman.