Saturday 23 / August / 2025
Oman has implemented a comprehensive biometrics framework through the promulgation of Royal Decree 21/2024, issuing the Biometrics Law, and its Executive Regulation issued under ROP Decision 149/2024, establishing a national database within the Directorate General of Inquiries and Criminal Investigation to enhance security with strong privacy safeguards.
Speaking exclusively to the Times of Oman, a representative of Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm, a leading law office in Oman, explained that “this law applies to: (1) biometric data collection by police/customs authorities from crime scenes, unidentified remains, accused/convicted persons, relatives of missing persons, and voluntary applicants; (2) genetic fingerprint testing by licensed private health facilities; and (3) Individuals legally required to provide samples, such as suspects under criminal investigation or those convicted of crimes, with collection and analysis strictly following the mandated legal procedures.
The system covers genetic fingerprints, traditional fingerprints, palm prints, face scans, and iris scans. Database access requires explicit permission from the Inspector General of Police and Customs or authorized delegates, and restricted strictly to criminal investigations or vital public interest cases.”
“A key safeguard under the law prohibits using genetic fingerprinting to prove or deny ancestry, except in specific cases such as suspected hospital birth mix-ups, in vitro fertilisation errors, disaster-related child identification, sexual assault of minors or persons lacking capacity, and identification of unidentified corpses. Genetic analysis is limited to non-coding DNA regions and gender determination genes to reduce the collection of sensitive information, and unless the samples are anonymous or collected from crime or accident scenes it requires a judicial order. When collecting samples from children, their guardian must be present. Biological samples are securely stored for at least ten years before destruction, while digital biometric data, including genetic profiles, facial scans, iris patterns, fingerprints, and palm prints, is retained indefinitely,” said Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Zadjali, Founding Partner of Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm.
He further added that the violations carry severe penalties: forging biometric documents incurs 3-10 years’ imprisonment plus 1,000-5,000 OMR fines; unauthorised data disclosure brings 3-5 years’ imprisonment with 500-2,000 OMR fines; evidence tampering warrants 3-7 years’ imprisonment and 500-3,000 OMR fines; sample refusal risks 1-3 months imprisonment and/or 100-500 OMR fines; while unlicensed genetic testing by health facilities results in 1,000-3,000 OMR fines with responsible individuals facing 1 month to 3 years imprisonment and/or 500-1,000 OMR fines.
This framework demonstrates how biometric technologies can be responsibly governed, balancing advanced security capabilities with rigorous privacy protections to serve fundamental public interests, he concluded.
(Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm ([email protected]), (+968 244 87 600) was established 18 years ago and is serving clients through its offices in Muscat and Sohar, as well as operating on a request basis in other areas. It offers legal representation across a wide range of practice areas that include Labour Law, Corporate, Commercial, Contracts, Banking and Finance, International Trade, Foreign Investment, Insurance, Maritime Law, Construction and Engineering Contracts, International Arbitration, Intellectual Property and more).
