Oman liberalises foreign marriage law in rare social reform

FILE PHOTO: Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said gives a speech after being sworn in before the royal family council in Muscat, Oman, January 11, 2020. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani/File Photo

DUBAI (Reuters) - Omanis no longer need state permission to marry a foreign national according to a royal decree issued this week, a rare example of social reform in the conservative Gulf country.

Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said has, since assuming power in 2020 after the 50-year reign of the late Sultan Qaboos, embarked on long-delayed reforms to improve fiscal stability and attract foreign investment.