Saturday 14 / November / 2026
Muscat: Elections for the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) will be held on November 23 to select members of its Board of Directors and the boards of its ten branches for the 2026–2030 term, with voting conducted electronically through smartphones.
The electronic voting system will allow eligible voters to cast their ballots from within or outside Oman, regardless of their geographical location.
The OCCI Elections Committee announced the final list of 110 candidates on November 12, following the completion of legal procedures related to nominations and objections. The candidates include 83 contesting seats on the boards of the ten branches, 15 representing Muscat Governorate, 10 representing public joint-stock companies listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange, and two representing foreign investors holding investor residency.
The elections will determine 50 members for the ten branch boards, with five seats allocated to each branch, while the Chamber's Board of Directors will comprise 21 members. The heads of the ten branch boards will automatically become members of the central board, alongside five representatives from Muscat Governorate, five from listed public joint-stock companies and one representing foreign investors.
Under the OCCI system issued by Royal Decree No. 56/2022, if no foreign investor is elected, the seat allocated to this category will be filled by the highest-polling unsuccessful candidate from the category representing listed public joint-stock companies.
The candidate securing the highest number of votes in each branch will become its chairman, while the runner-up will assume the position of vice-chairman.
The membership term will be four years, beginning from the date of the first meeting of each board. The newly elected Chamber Board of Directors is expected to convene within seven days of the announcement of the final results to elect its chairman, first and second deputy chairmen, and two additional members of the Executive Committee.
The Elections Committee will announce the requirements and procedures for candidates seeking the Chamber chairmanship before the board's first meeting.
Voting rights will be weighted according to membership categories. Members in the premium category will receive five votes, followed by four votes for the first category, three for the second, two for the third and one for the fourth category.
Dr Khalid bin Saeed Al-Amri, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Omani Economic Association, said the elections represented more than a procedural exercise, describing them as an opportunity to translate the aspirations and concerns of business owners into practical and implementable proposals.
He said the 21-member board structure would ensure geographical and economic diversity, adding that the effectiveness of representation should be assessed through the quality of decisions and initiatives rather than the number of seats.
Al-Amri described smartphone-based remote voting as a positive step towards expanding participation, particularly among small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which seek stronger representation of their concerns relating to financing, tenders and regulatory procedures.
He said the incoming board should strengthen the use of research and data in developing proposals and economic initiatives, contributing to the objectives of Oman Vision 2040, particularly economic diversification and private sector empowerment.
He also called for transparent performance indicators covering response times to members' requests, the effectiveness of sectoral committees, partnerships and investment opportunities generated by the Chamber, and business community satisfaction.
Businessman Murtadha bin Mohammed Jawad bin Ibrahim Al Jamalani Al Lawati, an insurance and reinsurance expert, stressed the importance of ensuring that representation across governorates and economic sectors reflects their respective needs and activities.
He said investment opportunities extended across different sectors and geographical areas, requiring a comprehensive approach that builds on each governorate's comparative advantages to increase economic value and generate employment.
Al Lawati highlighted the importance of decentralised management of branch affairs and the role of specialised and cross-sectoral committees in bringing technical expertise and practical knowledge to the Chamber's work.
He also called for reviewing the outcomes of the Partnership Lab organised by the Chamber in cooperation with the Office for Monitoring the Implementation of Oman Vision 2040, particularly its projects and initiatives and their impact on local economic development.
He stressed that appointments to sectoral committees should be based on professional qualifications, practical experience and specialised knowledge, alongside the ability to engage effectively with ministries, government institutions and the Council of Oman.
Drawing on his experience in specialised committees, Al Lawati called for strengthening their role in preparing studies, proposing initiatives and assessing the economic impact of legislation and regulatory decisions through measurable performance indicators.
He further emphasised closer cooperation between the Chamber and the Shura Council, enabling the latter's specialised committees to benefit from the Chamber's research, technical expertise and recommendations. Such cooperation, he said, would help align government policies and legislative decisions with the practical needs of businesses and economic sectors.
The OCCI is a private, non-profit organisation tasked with representing, protecting and developing the interests of its registered members and strengthening the private sector's contribution to the national economy. The number of commercial registrations affiliated with the Chamber reached approximately 478,750 across Oman as of November 2025.
The 2026–2030 elections mark another milestone in the Chamber's electoral history, which dates back to its establishment on May 15, 1973. Its first board elections were held in 1975.
