What is an ITC? Oman's Integrated Tourism Complexes where foreigners can buy

If you have looked into buying property in Oman, you have seen the letters ITC. Almost every project where foreigners can buy in their own name is an ITC. This guide explains what an ITC is, what rights it gives buyers and what limits apply.

What is an ITC?

ITC stands for Integrated Tourism Complex: a large planned community with hotels, a beach or marina, landscaping, security and services, which the Omani government has allowed to sell units to foreigners. Well-known examples in Muscat:

• Al Mouj (The Wave) with a marina, golf course and beach
• Muscat Bay between the mountains and the sea, next to the Jumeirah hotel
• Muscat Hills with a golf course near the airport
• The Sustainable City Yiti, AIDA, Barr Al Jissah and Al Yazan on the Muttrah waterfront
• Outside Muscat: Jebel Sifah and Hawana Salalah

The legal basis

• Royal Decree 12/2006 (amended up to 76/2010): the system of real estate ownership in Integrated Tourism Complexes
• Executive Regulation, Ministerial Decision 191/2007 (amended up to 109/2022)

Under these rules, Omani and non-Omani individuals and companies may own built units or plots in ITCs for living or investment.

What rights does it give?

• Ownership in your own name with an official title deed (full ownership in most ITCs; in Musandam only a usufruct of up to 99 years on completed units)
• Residency: the ITC law already gave owners of completed units and their first-degree relatives renewable residency. Decision 87/2026 made it simpler: owner residency without a sponsor, even for off-plan units
• 10-year Golden Residency for completed, titled ITC property worth at least OMR 200,000
• Letting the unit to others
• Selling and inheritance (with conditions; see below)
• Joint ownership by two first-degree relatives, subject to legal conditions

Limits to know

• Empty plots: a plot buyer must finish building within 4 years (extendable by up to 2 years). Before completion the plot cannot be sold, except to mortgage it to finance construction.
• Community rules: each ITC has owners' regulations, an annual service charge and rules of use.
• Inheritance: ITC property does not pass automatically on the owner's death; a formal application is needed, so a valid will matters.

What about outside ITCs?

Since 2021, foreigners resident in Oman can also buy apartments in approved areas on a 99-year usufruct, but the conditions are tighter: aged at least 23, a valid residence visa of at least two years, a building of at least four floors, a minimum price of OMR 45,000 in Muscat Governorate and OMR 35,000 elsewhere, and no resale for 4 years. For someone buying from outside Oman, an ITC is the main and simpler route.

How to check that a project is an ITC

• Look for the words Integrated Tourism Complex in the contract and developer documents.
• Ask whether the title will be registered in your name with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning.
• For off-plan projects, see the project's escrow account.

How R2LUX helps

The projects we list on R2LUX are in areas open to foreign buyers. Before you reserve, we clarify the project's legal status, the residency options and the community rules. This article is general guidance and not legal advice.