In a significant move towards ensuring gender equality for women, Oman has amended its land law to give women equal rights as men to own residential plots.
Shaikh Saif bin Mohammed Al Shabibi, country's housing minister, said the recent royal decree amending the government land entitlement system was part of measures to revise the land law to cope with the housing development services being provided to the citizens.
"The recent amendment to the Land Law assures the Omani woman the right to own residential plot as in the case of man without any discrimination. This has been a clear indication to the role played by the woman as partner in the development process and her effective contribution to the construction sector," Shaikh Saif was quoted as saying by the Oman News Agency.
"As per the amendment to the government Land Entitlement Law, priority will be given to those who have not got a government plot or who do not own land at the time of submitting the application, whether by purchase, inheritance or grants," he said.
The ministry is coordinating with the authorities concerned to launch an electronic residential land application system using website and is also studying the possibility of receiving applications for land from citizens in various parts of the Sultanate.