muscat: About 1.5 million beneficiaries have availed the benefits of the Social Protection Law since its implementation at the beginning of the year, marking significant progress in social welfare initiatives in Oman. The Social Protection Fund has been instrumental in executing the provisions of the law, establishing branches of social insurance and protection schemes aimed at safeguarding individuals and families against various life risks, in line with a vision for comprehensive social protection.
According to Oman News Agency, the Social Protection Fund commenced the disbursement of direct cash benefits to eligible individuals across different societal segments on January 1, 2024. The schemes, fully funded by the state’s public treasury, cater to persons with disabilities, children, the elderly, orphans, and widows. By the end of October 2024, the ‘Childhood Scheme’ alone benefited 1,232,283 Omani children up to the age of eighteen.
Additionally, 167,527 individuals accessed the ‘Scheme of the Elderly’,
while 41,256 beneficiaries received support through allocations for ‘Persons with Disabilities’. Assistance was also extended to 16,325 orphans and widows. The ‘Family Income Support Scheme’ complemented the existing programmes, aiming to provide financial support to the lowest-income groups by bridging the gap between actual and target income, as determined by the Social Protection Law. Over 42,510 beneficiaries utilized this scheme, bringing the total number of beneficiaries accessing social protection schemes to 1,499,901.
Social insurance programmes based on ‘Employer Contributions’ include insurance for the elderly, disability and death, work injuries and occupational diseases, job security, maternity leave, and other types of leave. The private sector recorded 259,577 active insured persons, while the government sector had 190,420. Omani insured persons abroad numbered 38. In GCC states, 6,194 active Omani insured persons were employed across sectors. Self-employed Omanis and those in similar statuses
accounted for 120,926 beneficiaries. The number of Omani retirees surpassed 89,680, with 69,127 individuals entitled to pensions.
By the end of 2023, an ‘asset transfer strategy’ was developed by the Investment Integration and Management Team, with the transfer process beginning in January 2024. By the end of October, 99.8 percent of the total assets of the Social Protection Fund had been covered. The digital transition rate reached 63 percent by the end of 2024, with 20 projects implemented as part of the 2024-2025 plan, achieving 100 percent of the 2024 targets, constituting 51 percent of the plan’s overall objectives.
In 2024, the Social Protection Fund was linked with 12 government institutions, reflecting significant progress in providing protection to Omani citizens. This development aligns with the directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, as outlined in the Basic Law of the State and Oman Vision 2040.