Welcoming Statement: OCHRD Welcomes the Ministry of Labour’s Decision on the Executive Regulations Governing Domestic Workers and Those in Equivalent Positions
OCHRD welcomes the Ministry of Labour’s Decision No. 574/2025 concerning the Executive Regulations for Domestic Workers and Those in Equivalent Positions, which introduces a series of legal amendments that take into account the economic, legal, and social conditions of domestic workers.
On Tuesday, 13 October 2025, the Ministry of Labour issued a ministerial decision containing a number of legal amendments relating to the status of domestic workers — a category that has long remained outside the scope of legal protection and unequal in treatment compared with other categories of workers in the Sultanate of Oman, particularly migrant and foreign workers.
The ministerial decision includes several key amendments, most notably:
- Weekly and annual leave entitlements;
- Sick leave provisions;
- Regulation of working hours and rest periods;
- Prohibition of forced labour;
- Prohibition of retaining a worker’s personal documents, such as passports.
The decision also encompasses several other provisions, all aimed at improving the conditions of domestic workers and safeguarding their rights.
OCHRD, in its previous reports, has addressed the situation of domestic workers in Oman and has repeatedly called upon the authorities to ensure equal treatment for this category of workers, and to provide them with the necessary legal protections, whether in relation to working hours, the prohibition of forced labour, or their economic and social rights. OCHRD has also repeatedly urged the authorities to abolish the notorious kafala (sponsorship) system, which remains one of the primary sources of exploitation and abuse against migrant and foreign workers in the country.
While OCHRD welcomes this ministerial decision as a significant step towards aligning domestic legislation with international human rights and decent work standards, it also urges the authorities to ensure the proper and effective implementation of the new provisions, and to prevent any violations or manipulative practices that could undermine the spirit of the reform.
Furthermore, OCHRD calls upon the authorities to review and repeal all laws that constitute violations of human rights, and to ensure that national legislation is consistent with international human rights treaties and standards, particularly the conventions and covenants to which the Sultanate of Oman is a party.
OCHRD also urges Oman to ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 189 concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers, as an essential step towards guaranteeing protection, dignity, and justice for this vulnerable group in accordance with international human rights and labour standards.