Sunday 09 / November / 2025
Muscat: Widespread disruption in Oman’s online food delivery sector has prompted the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology (MTCIT) to step in, confirming a major overhaul of the industry.
Officials say the new framework is designed to professionalise operations, safeguard consumers, and create sustainable jobs for Omani citizens.
Times of Oman was the first to report last week that several restaurants and cafés in Muscat had halted online delivery operations through platforms such as Talabat and Khedmah, leaving customers surprised to find the services listed as “unavailable.”
What many had assumed to be a technical glitch turned out to be the result of newly enforced compliance measures.
Engineer Abdullah bin Ali Al Busaidi, Director General of the Oman Logistics Centre and a member of the Net Zero Team at MTCIT, said that the ministry, in collaboration with other government bodies and private partners, had embarked on a major effort to regulate the express delivery sector.
The objective, he said, was to transform what had been a loosely managed activity into a structured and credible economic sector that offers clear and stable employment pathways for Omanis.
“The goal is to establish this as a clear and growing economic activity that provides structured job opportunities for citizens,” Al Busaidi told Times of Oman’s sister publication Al Shabiba, noting that the ministry’s work follows extensive study and consultation.
According to Al Busaidi, investigations revealed that a large share of delivery operations had been conducted by expatriate workers using private vehicles without the necessary commercial licences or professional insurance.
This, he pointed out, posed risks on several fronts — from the absence of legal protection for consumers to weak enforcement of food safety standards, and from limited market oversight to unfair competition against businesses that comply with the law.
“It was found that many delivery riders were working in professions unrelated to transport or e-commerce, taking on deliveries as unauthorised side jobs,” he explained.
“They used private vehicles that did not meet safety or quality standards, and there were no proper contracts in place to protect them or the companies they served. The result was exploitation, unstable income, and a lack of job security.”
Under the new regulations, service providers must now operate through entities licensed by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and register their vehicles and drivers on the national “Naql” platform.
This ensures that only insured and properly equipped vehicles are used for commercial delivery.
“Accordingly, it is now necessary for service providers to operate under licensed entities and to be registered on the ‘Naql’ platform using insured vehicles,” Al Busaidi said.
He noted that delivery platforms and restaurants have been officially instructed to comply with these new requirements.
“Major platforms have shown quick cooperation,” he added, “although there are some natural challenges during this transition period, which are being addressed through lessons learned and continuous improvement.”
The new model, he explained, brings together four regulated elements — a licensed restaurant, a licensed delivery company, a registered driver, and a certified vehicle — all linked through the Naql system for monitoring and accountability.
In addition to registration, several corrective measures have been introduced to raise safety and service standards.
Drivers and companies are now being equipped with tracking devices to ensure the safety of every journey, while food delivery protocols have been tightened.
All vehicles must use insulated thermal boxes, adhere to time limits on deliveries, and keep food separate from other materials during transport. The ministry has also introduced a professional delivery exam conducted by the Oman Logistics Association, and drivers must now obtain a preventive driving licence. Work contracts between platforms and drivers are being regulated to protect incomes and prevent exploitation.
“We are not merely localising the delivery driver role,” Al Busaidi emphasised. “Our aim is qualitative Omanisation — creating operational and administrative jobs that ensure the sector’s long-term sustainability.”
He added that at least 20 percent of supervisory and administrative positions within delivery fleets must be held by Omanis.
Full Omanisation of delivery riders has already been achieved in Wilayats such as Nizwa, Ibri, and Sohar, and similar progress is expected in Muscat as the system stabilises. Training and qualification programmes are being developed to support this transition.
No new expat workers to be recruited
Al Busaidi confirmed that, for now, companies are not permitted to recruit new expatriate workers for delivery roles. Instead, they must regularise the status of those already in Oman while ensuring that management and support positions are increasingly filled by local talent.
He stressed that the intention behind the regulation is not to restrict or limit business activity, but to professionalise it in a way that benefits both companies and consumers.
“Our objective is to ensure faster service, fair costs, improved quality, and stronger food transport safety — while creating sustainable employment opportunities for citizens,” he said.
The new framework, Al Busaidi noted, also supports Oman’s wider sustainability agenda. The ministry is encouraging the use of bicycles in urban areas, describing them as faster in traffic, cheaper to operate, and more environmentally friendly.
“This framework ultimately enhances the consumer experience, improves market reputation, and establishes the right environment for the growth of the express delivery and e-commerce sectors,” Al Busaidi added. “It will also improve Oman’s ranking in logistics performance and quality of life indicators.”
Although the transition has caused temporary disruption for restaurants and cloud kitchens that depend heavily on delivery platforms, the long-term impact is expected to be positive.
