What does Oman's new income tax mean for the Gulf?


Salim A. Essaid
  • English
  • Arabic

The absence of income tax has helped to attract people from around the world to move to the Gulf. But one country is set to change direction.

Oman recently announced it will be the first country in the region to introduce personal income tax.

While some countries, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have other types of taxes, such as VAT, on most goods and services, Oman is making history with a levy on personal income.

The tax is not set to take effect until 2028, but it has already raised questions about whether other Gulf states will follow suit.

Host Salim Essaid hears from The National's Deepthi Nair, Assistant Business Editor and David Daly, a partner at the Gulf Tax Accounting Group in the UAE.

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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin

Who was Alfred Nobel?

The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

  • In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
  • Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
  • Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile

Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors

Updated: July 11, 2025, 10:59 AM
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