Omanday Weekly News Roundup: Oman temporarily stops issuing expat visas for 87 jobs

Since the last week the Sultanate has witnessed a lot of happenings in the country. Here are the top headlines as part of our weekly news roundup:

A six-month ban on hiring expat workers in 87 job roles was recently imposed by the Ministry of Manpower (MoM). Minister of Manpower Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bakri issued ministerial decree 2018/38 on Sunday in this regard.

Women will be allowed to drive taxis in the Sultanate from March this year, Royal Oman Police (ROP) have announced. This news comes from the press conference organised by the ROP, and after the implementation of 52 new violations to traffic system in Oman.

New and updated traffic rules and regulations will come into effect in the Sultanate from March 1, 2018. Some of these rules include one-year temporary driving licences for all new drivers; expats having to renew their driving licences every two years; all passengers inside a vehicle now have to wear seatbelts, including those sitting in the backseat; and more. You can also find a full list of new fines and fees here.

The wait is finally over. Oman's new airport will officially open on March 20 this year,  Commercial operations of the new passenger terminal at Muscat International Airport will begin from March 20, the Ministry of Transport and Communications has announced.

A bus crash at Qantab in the governorate of Muscat has left one person dead and 23 others injured, according to Royal Oman Police (ROP).
One Indian worker was killed, while four others — including the Omani driver — sustained serious injuries when the 60-seater passenger bus overturned in Qantab on Sunday evening.