Arab World : Oman

OmanInstitutions

Public administrations focusing on books

  • State publisher
    Ministry of Culture / Ministry of Religious Affairs / Ministry of Information / Sultan Qaboos University / Diwan of Royal Court / Royal Court Affairs / Environment Authority

    State foundation Function: To support book and reading policies
    Comments

    Most institutions publish materials within their field of specialization.

  • Ministry of Culture
    Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth

    State foundation Function: To carry out a cultural policy

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Professional associations

  • Booksellers' associations
    Omani Libraries' Association

    Public institution Function: To bring together bookstore professionals

  • Authors' associations
    Omani Association for Writers and Literature

    Public institution Function: To bring together writing professionals

  • Publishers' associations
    The National Syndicate of Book Publishers

    Public institution Function: To bring together publishing professionals
    Comments

    A member of the International Publishers Association (IPA)

  • Publishers' associations
    The National Organization for Books

    Public institution Function: To bring together publishing professionals

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University programmes on books

  • Professional training
    Department of Information Studies

    University Function: Professional training

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OmanPublic policies

Market regulation

  • Regulation of digital trade

    Law Function: To regulate

    Cybercrime Prevention Law
    Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Law

  • Regulation of free competition

    Law Function: To regulate

    Competition Protection and Anti-Monopoly Law No. 2014/67, as amended by Royal Decree No. 22/2018

  • Opinions of professionals

    • The publishing scene in Oman is not highly centralized.

      • The percentage of imported books in the total books available in libraries: 80%.
      • The percentage of national publishing (with local capital) that receives public procurement contracts for libraries: Unknown.
      • The percentage of multinational or foreign groups that receive public procurement contracts for public and university libraries: None.
      • The total value of public procurement contracts for school books in your country: Unknown.
      • Public procurement contracts for school books are obtained through clear and transparent tender requests because the financial and government procurement regulations require this in general.
      • The percentage of national publishing (with local capital) that receives public procurement contracts for school books: Unknown.
      • The percentage of multinational or foreign groups that receive public procurement contracts for school books: None.

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Public procurement

  • Public purchases of textbooks

    Public program Function: To regulate

    Omani publishers have priority in public tender bids for books, and local printing presses are also involved.

  • Public purchases for libraries

    Public program Function: To support book and reading policies

    There are mechanisms to support libraries through book acquisitions, with priority given to local libraries and local printing presses in tenders.

  • Opinions of professionals

    • There are no significant public purchases for books in local languages.

      • There are no aggregated national statistics on the total public procurement for public libraries in Oman.
      • The total value of public procurement contracts for university libraries in your country is unknown.
      • Public procurement contracts for books for public and university libraries are obtained through clear and transparent tender requests.

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Signing of international agreements

  • Nairobi Protocol

    International agreement Function: Free circulation of cultural goods

    Signature: 19/12/1977

  • WIPO Copyright Treaty

    International agreement Function: Protection of literary and artistic works

  • Berne Convention

    International agreement Function: Protection of literary and artistic works

    Oman’s accession to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (September 9, 1886): April 14, 1999
    Oman’s accession to the Paris Convention of July 24, 1971: April 14, 1999
    Ratification of the Agreement establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (Geneva, July 14, 1967): February 19, 1997

  • Florence Agreement

    International agreement Function: Free circulation of cultural goods

    Accession on 19/12/1977

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Support for public reading and book distribution

  • Support for bookshops

    Public program Function: To carry out a cultural policy

    Libraries are supported through book acquisitions, with preference given in tenders to local libraries and local printing presses.

    Additionally, a loan can be taken like any other project, but there is no special treatment for libraries.

  • Opinions of professionals

    • There are no specific funds to support libraries.

      The Ministry of Culture offers facilities for local publishers to participate in book fairs, but there are no dedicated funds created for this purpose specifically.

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Support for creation and publishing

  • Support for tanslation (intra-extra)

    Fund Function: To carry out a cultural policy

    At the national level, this is done through the Ministry of Culture and the Cultural Club.

  • Support for literary creation

    Public program Function: To carry out a cultural policy

    There are aids for authors through:

    • Awards
    • Book purchases by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth represented by the Omani Book Purchase Evaluation Committee, exclusively for Omani authors. The author submits an application, and if approved, copies of the book are purchased.

  • Support for book publishing

    Public program Function: To implement a book and reading policy

    At the national level, it is done through the Ministry of Culture, the Cultural Club, and the Writers and Authors Association.

  • Support for the presence of publishing houses at international fairs

    Public program Function: To implement a book and reading policy

    There are specific mechanisms or aids to support the participation of publishers in book salons and fairs, both nationally and internationally, through the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth / Ministry of Information.

  • Support for translation into indigenous languages (intra-extra)

    Public program Functions: To implement a book and reading policy and to carry out a cultural policy

    There are aids for translation from the local language to foreign languages (translation directed abroad) and from foreign languages to the local language (translation directed domestically). This is done through the Ministry of Culture / Cultural Club – at the national level.

  • Support for publishing houses

    Assistance is provided through loans, but they are not specific to publishing houses. However, publishing houses can benefit from them through the Small and Medium Enterprises Authority.

    There are mechanisms aimed at encouraging youth and citizens to establish their own projects, regardless of the nature of the project. Therefore, there are no specific mechanisms targeting the book publishing activity. Local establishments have priority in government purchases in general, which includes the purchase of books in its current form.

  • Book support fund

    Public program Function: To carry out a cultural policy

    Support is provided through pre-arranged public book purchases by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education at the national level.

  • Opinions of professionals

    • The three main measures to support the publishing sector in Oman are:

      • Simplifying and easing the procedures for establishing publishing houses.
      • Increasing government purchases of published books by increasing financial allocations for this purpose.
      • Building spaces and venues for book sales activities, with symbolic rental fees set by the municipality.

      There are seasonal initiatives to help authors publish their books, which are implemented by the following entities: Ministry of Culture, Writers and Authors Association, and the Cultural Club. The type of support is the issuance of the author’s book.

      There are no specific funds to support publishers or book publishing.

      There are seasonal initiatives that help in publishing translated books, which are presented by translators, and they are managed by the following entities: Ministry of Culture, Writers and Authors Association, Cultural Club, and Oman Oil Development Company.

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Cultural policies

  • Books and/or reading

    Public program Function: To implement a book and reading policy

    Cultural Strategy / MIDAD
    A project within the Cultural Strategy 2024-2040, focusing on highlighting books as intellectual productions by supporting their printing, translation, researchers, and the presence of Omani books both locally and internationally.

    There are no regulations specifying the format of books (traditional or digital).

  • Literacy

    Public program Function: To inventory

    The Omani National Center for Statistics and Information conducts assessments to measure literacy eradication efforts.

    Additionally, there is the 2008 Culture Survey, published in 2012, which focuses on literacy and reading education.

  • National Reading Plan

    Public program Function: To implement a book and reading policy

    The Culture Survey 2008, published in 2012.

  • Opinions of professionals

    • The main challenge related to public policies in Oman is the updating and development of the Printing and Publishing Law.

      There is no law regarding books and/or reading in Oman.

      Independent publishers participate in discussions and forums organized by the government to develop and establish legislations and strategies regarding cultural policies. Their voices are present. Some of them, as writers, contribute to local newspapers and online platforms to make a difference. They also appear as guests on television talk shows to share their views on the reality of books and publishing.

    The most significant developments related to public policies for books and reading in the last ten years:

    • The foundation of the National Library, part of the future vision for Oman 2040.

    • The issuance of the Cultural Strategy 2024-2040.

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Freedom of expression

  • Obligation to declare publications

    Decree Function: To control

    According to Article 12 of the Publications and Publishing Law No. 49/84:

    Before printing any publication, the printer must obtain prior approval for the publication from the Ministry of Information.

  • Control or regulation of content

    Law Functions: To control and to regulate

    The Publications and Publishing Law (issued by Royal Decree No. 49/84) and the Private Broadcasting and Television Establishments Law (issued by Royal Decree No. 95/2004), along with their executive regulations.

    In 2020, amendments were made to five articles of the Publications and Publishing Law to include electronic newspapers and electronic news agencies.

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Taxes

  • Full rate of VAT

    General tax code

    A 5% VAT applies to printed books, according to the Executive Regulations of the Value Added Tax Law.

    There is no mention of digital books in the regulations.

    Comments

    Non-profit organizations are generally exempt from the taxes imposed on for-profit institutions.

  • Taxation on paper

    General tax code

    5%

  • Import duties on IT equipment

    General tax code

    There are unspecified taxes.

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Copyright law

  • WIPO Copyright Treaty

    Law Function: Protection of literary and artistic works

    The Copyright and Related Rights Law No. 65/2008.

  • Protection of traditional cultural expressions

    Law Function: Protection of literary and artistic works

    The Copyright and Related Rights Law No. 65/2008.

  • Regulation of the public domain

    Law Function: To regulate moral and patrimonial rights, and their duration

    The Copyright and Neighboring Rights Law No. 65/2008

    Article (26)
    The economic rights of the author, as stipulated in this law, are protected for the lifetime of the author and for seventy years starting from the beginning of the calendar year following the year of their death.

    Article (27)
    The economic rights of the authors of joint works are protected for their lifetime and for seventy years starting from the beginning of the calendar year following the death of the last surviving author.

  • Berne Convention

    International agreement Function: Protection of literary and artistic works

    Oman’s Accession to International Agreements:

    • Accession to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (September 9, 1886): April 14, 1999
    • Accession to the Paris Convention of July 24, 1971: April 14, 1999
    • Ratification of the Agreement Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (Geneva, July 14, 1967): February 19, 1997

  • Management of copyright

    Law Function: To regulate moral and patrimonial rights, and their duration

    Copyright and neighboring Rights Law No. 65/2008
    Chapter Five defines the free uses of works in Article (20) and its controls.

     

  • Protection of heritage rights

    Law Function: To regulate moral and patrimonial rights, and their duration

    Copyright and Neighboring Rights Law No. 65/2008

    Article (26)
    The financial rights of the author specified in this law are protected for the duration of the author’s life and for seventy years starting from the beginning of the calendar year following the year of their death.

    Article (27)
    The financial rights of the authors of joint works are protected for their lifetime and for seventy years starting from the beginning of the calendar year following the year of death of the last surviving author.

     

  • Regulation of copyright and translation rights

    Law Function: To regulate moral and patrimonial rights, and their duration

    Copyright and Neighboring Rights Law No. 65/2008

    There are no specific provisions for translators.

  • Opinions of professionals

    The Print and Publication Law is currently under discussion in Oman, with questions regarding the timeline for its update.

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International standards and book identification

  • Obligations relating to book identification data (ISBN, ISSN, ISN, RPI, etc.)

    Regulation Function: To record

    An ISBN can be obtained for free from the Publications and Publishing Directorate – Ministry of Information.

    Five copies must be deposited at the Ministry of Information.

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Piracy of physical books and free book download sites

  • Opinions of professionals

    • Book piracy has a limited impact on the book market. It is not unlikely that some imported books are counterfeit and sold at a lower price. However, these are usually targeted at the most popular books, so their effect on many book titles is minimal.

      I don’t believe that electronic book piracy has a significant impact on the book market, as some people view free downloads as a way to sample a book before purchasing it.

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