1,809 Activity Records
Stored official commercial activity data
123 Negative-List Codes
Consolidated foreign-investment restriction data
Rule-Based Search
No AI or external classification API
Start from your business scenario
Use the finder to shortlist official activities, then review the legal and regulatory layer for your real operating model.
- Consultant or freelancer: start with the guide to freelance and online-service business setup.
- SaaS or app founder: search software activities, then review the IT/software and platform-payment requirements.
- Creator: search the real service or product behind the income and check creator and app-platform business models.
- E-commerce seller: search both the online activity and the goods being traded.
- Forex, investment or financial service: do not rely on a broad consultancy code. Review the financial-service and forex regulatory boundary and obtain classification where required.
The finder helps with activity discovery. It does not replace foreign-investment eligibility, sector approval, work-authorisation or regulator confirmation.
How to Use the Finder
Start broad, narrow the results and save the activities that appear relevant to your planned business.
01
Search
Enter an official code, an English or Arabic title, or a product or activity such as software, restaurant or construction.
02
Filter
Use sector, business model, official status and foreign-investment filters to remove unrelated results.
03
Shortlist
Add promising activities to your shortlist, review them together and copy their official codes for further assessment.
UNDERSTANDING THE RESULTS
Official Status and Foreign-Investment Status Are Different
An activity can be active in the stored official activity data but prohibited for foreign investment. A discontinued code may be an older or replaced classification, but that does not automatically mean that the underlying business is prohibited. The live authority system controls whether a code is currently available for a particular application.
Status Guide
- Active: Marked as active in the stored official activity data.
- Discontinued: Marked as discontinued or another non-active status.
- Prohibited: Appears in the consolidated foreign-investment Negative List stored by the finder.
- Not listed: Not found in that stored Negative List; ownership conditions, sector approval and other licensing requirements may still apply.
Important Limits Before You Rely on a Code
Use the result to prepare a shortlist, not as confirmation that an activity, ownership structure, licence or external approval will be accepted.
- Search and compare the exact activity code. Similar names can have different ownership or licensing conditions.
- A code that is not on the stored Negative List may still require approval from a ministry, municipality, regulator, professional body, free-zone operator or another competent authority.
- Activity availability, status and requirements can change. Confirm the selected code in the live Oman Business Platform and with the relevant authority before payment or submission.
- The company location and legal structure matter. Mainland, free-zone and regulated-sector applications may follow different approval routes.
- Commercial activity codes describe what the company is licensed to do. They are not employee job titles and do not confirm that a particular occupation or work permit is available.
Why the Correct Activity Selection Matters
The activity codes selected for a company should reflect what the business will actually do—not only the broad industry name.
- Some activities require approval from a specialised authority
- Retail, wholesale, import and manufacturing are different business models
- A general description may not cover the company’s actual operations
- Foreign-investment eligibility may differ between related activities
- Several complementary activities may be needed for one business model
- A cross-check can identify overlaps, gaps and approval risks
Using the Shortlist in a Wider Setup Plan
After identifying possible codes, compare the next requirements according to the company structure, sector, location and operating model.
Mainland Company
The company registration guide for mainland Oman explains the broader incorporation route for an Omani mainland entity.
Engineering Consultancy
The engineering consultancy licensing guide for Oman covers professional qualifications, office requirements and sector approval.
Free Zones
The Oman free-zone guide for foreign investors compares location, customs and operating considerations for export, logistics and industrial projects.
Import and Export
Trading activities do not by themselves complete importer or shipment readiness. The customs clearance and Bayan guide for Oman explains the additional shipment requirements.
Hiring and Compliance
When the operating plan includes employees, the labour and Omanisation guide for employers explains employer-file, permit and workforce implications.
Related Regulatory Guides
These separate guides cover two checks connected to activity-code research.
Foreign-Investment Restrictions
The restricted-activities guide for foreign investors in Oman summarises relevant legal decisions, amendments and the consolidated list.
Workforce Rules
The Omanisation guide explains how workforce rules may vary by activity, sector, company size, location and requested roles.
Common Questions
Is this an official government tool?
No. This finder organises stored activity records and consolidated restriction data to help international founders and investors identify likely activity codes before the formal Oman setup process. Commercial Registration, investment approvals, licences and regulatory decisions are completed through the relevant Omani authorities.
Does “not listed as prohibited” guarantee foreign ownership?
No. It only means that the activity was not matched to the prohibited list stored in this finder. Licensing conditions, special approvals, business location and the facts of the application may still affect eligibility.
What does discontinued mean?
It means the stored official activity data does not mark that code as active. The code may be old, replaced, merged or no longer available for a new registration. A current alternative should be checked in the live authority system before relying on it.
Can I search using Arabic?
Yes. The search accepts official activity codes, English titles and Arabic titles.
Are business activity codes the same as employee job titles?
No. A commercial activity code describes the work the company may be licensed to carry out. An employee job title belongs to the labour and work-permit system. A valid company activity does not automatically make every occupation available to a foreign worker.
How should the shortlist be used?
Compare the activity codes with the complete business model, then identify which codes appear essential, complementary, restricted, or likely to require additional approval. Any unresolved point should be confirmed through the competent authority.
