Many Lebanese business owners have real operating experience: a restaurant with loyal customers, a workshop with a name, or a trading company that knows its suppliers. When an owner considers moving the business, or opening a branch, in the Sultanate of Oman, the first question is usually: where do I start? This article sets out the steps in a practical order, from testing the idea to hiring the first employee.
First: test the market before you move anything
Success in Beirut, Saida or Zahle does not automatically mean success in Muscat or Sohar. The customer is different, buying habits are different, and the competitors are different. So we start with simple questions that can be answered from data and field visits:
- Who is your customer in Oman: citizens, residents, businesses, or a mix?
- Is there real demand for your product or service in the city you are considering?
- Who competes with you today, at what prices, and what are they missing?
- Can you keep your quality with the ingredients and suppliers available locally?
Second: the location before signing any lease
Location decides a large part of the outcome, especially for restaurants and shops. A street with heavy car traffic is not necessarily a street where people stop. Look at foot traffic, parking, peak hours and how close the competitors are. For workshops, first check that the activity is allowed in the area, because some industrial and craft activities have designated zones. Do not sign a lease before confirming that the municipality will license the activity at that site.
Third: calculate costs with Omani figures
Your current business numbers are a useful start, but they are not enough. Costs in Oman have different items, and they should come from real quotations, not estimates. The main items that need documented figures are:
- Rent and its terms: lease length, advance payment, and who pays for the fit-out.
- Fit-out and equipment: buy locally or ship from abroad?
- Government fees: commercial registration, municipal licence and work permits. Check them at the time from the official bodies.
- Salaries, housing and insurance for staff.
- Working capital: enough to cover the first months before income settles.
This whole stage is what we call studying the project before the feasibility study: its purpose is to tell you whether the idea is worth pursuing before you spend on setup and fit-out.
One option worth considering is to start smaller than your current business: one branch, a shorter product list, or a workshop with basic equipment. This lets you test real demand and get to know suppliers and customers, then expand based on actual numbers rather than expectations. Keeping your business in Lebanon running during this period, if possible, also eases the pressure on you in the first months.
Fourth: the setup steps
The Foreign Capital Investment Law (Royal Decree 50/2019) allows a foreign investor to own the company 100% in most activities, with a list of activities reserved for Omanis. Most procedures are done online through the Invest Easy platform of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion. The usual order is:
- Confirm your activity is not on the list of activities closed to foreigners.
- Reserve the trade name and choose the company's legal form.
- Issue the commercial registration through Invest Easy.
- Lease the premises and obtain the municipal licence for the activity.
- Register with the bodies relevant to your activity, such as health and safety requirements for restaurants.
Fifth: residency for you and your family
Every commercial registration holder receives a two-year residency, issued through the Royal Oman Police once the company procedures are complete. This residency lets you live in Oman and run your business yourself. Bringing your spouse and children has its own conditions and procedures with the Royal Oman Police, so check them before setting a date for the family's move.
Sixth: the bank account
The company needs an account with a bank operating in Oman; these banks are supervised by the Central Bank of Oman. The bank usually asks for the commercial registration, partners' documents, and proof of the source of funds and the nature of the business. Prepare these documents early, since transferring capital from abroad requires clear and consistent paperwork, and requirements may differ from one bank to another.
Seventh: staff
You may want a chef or a technician you trust to move with you, and this is possible through work permits issued by the Ministry of Labour. But factor in the Omanisation ratios required for your activity, and that some occupations are reserved for Omanis. Companies owned by foreign investors are also required to employ at least one Omani citizen after one year of activity and register them with the Social Protection Fund. Plan for this from the start so your business is not held up later.
The experience you built in Lebanon is a real asset. What matters is to test it against the Omani market before you move it.
Before you move your business, study it with us before the feasibility study: we test the market, the location and the costs and give you a clear picture to base your decision on. Start from the project study page.
Test my project before I investMinistry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion and the Invest Easy platform (October 2026) Foreign Capital Investment Law, Royal Decree 50/2019 Royal Oman Police: residency services (October 2026) Ministry of Labour: Ministerial Resolution 602/2025 on work permits (October 2025) Central Bank of Oman (October 2026)