Over 35,000 Dormant Business Records Removed in Oman for Inactive Businesses (2000–2020)

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion in Oman has announced the cancellation of 35,778 commercial registrations that had either ceased operations or had expired licenses. This measure is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to organize the market and ensure that all active commercial records reflect real and legally operating businesses.

The canceled registrations represent the second phase of review, targeting businesses that stopped operating or expired between 2000 and 2020.
Notably, joint-stock companies and sole proprietorships were excluded from the cancellations.

Mohammed bin Salem Al-Hashmi, Director of the Commercial Establishment Inspection Department at the Ministry, emphasized that this initiative is vital for market regulation and updating data and statistics to reflect the actual business landscape in Oman. He added that for companies inactive since 2021, a dedicated cancellation form has been launched in cooperation with the Royal Oman Police and the Tax Authority, verifying that no financial or legal obligations remain before final approval.

Previously, in the first phase of the review, the Ministry had canceled 3,415 commercial registrations related to businesses that had stopped operating between 1970 and 1999.