UN Conventions and Other Agreements

United Nations Convention against Corruption: not signed.

United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime: accession on 13 May 2005.

Oman is a founding member and hosts the offices of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force, established on 30 November 2004 as a voluntary regional association to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

Oman has no contact with Transparency International.

Government Institutions and Initiatives

Cases of corruption are handled through ordinary judicial means in Oman; there are no special anti-corruption agencies.

Civil Society Initiatives

There are currently no anti-corruption organizations within the country.

Public Procurement

The Diwan of Legislation, established in 1975 to review all laws and to draft royal decrees, international agreements and government contracts, also scrutinizes any contract committing the government to expenditure of over RO 500,000 ($1.3 million).

Anti Money Laundering

The sultan issued Royal Decree No. 34, the Money Laundering Law, on March 27, 2002. The law establishes a National Committee for Combating Money Laundering under the chairmanship of the Under Secretary of the Ministry of National Economy for Economic Affairs. Notwithstanding other laws protecting the confidentiality of banking transactions, bankers are ordered to report any suspicious laundering activities to the police and to the Central Bank authorities and to do so without alerting their client. The public prosecution may freeze any transaction suspected of being illegal for up to ten days. Any person convicted of money laundering is to be jailed for three to ten years, and bankers who do not comply with the law are also subject to jail sentences.

Corruption Perception Index

Oman scored 5.5 on Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index in 2009, same as the previous year in 2008. The scale runs from 0 (high corruption) to 10 (no corruption). It is in the 49th position ranking better than Bahrain nonetheless behind the United Arab Emirates. Oman was ranked 41 among the 180 countries in the world, and 3rd among the 18 Arab Countries right behind Qatar and United Arab Emirates. In 2007, Oman scored 4.7 and was in 53rd place, tied with Jordan and ahead of Kuwait, among 180 countries in the world. In 2006 Oman scored 5.4 and was in 39th place, just ahead of Jordan, among 163 countries.