eFoil regulations & spots in Oman

Oman's Maritime Law (Royal Decree 19/2023, 387 articles) is administered by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) through its Directorate General of Maritime Affairs, with the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard on the water. The law distinguishes a ship, which must be self-propelled, from a marine unit, any other floating asset suitable for navigation; both are registered in the Ministry's register to obtain Omani nationality, and Article 7 prohibits any activity in Omani territorial waters without a navigational licence. Registration services on the government portal are open to Omani citizens and residents who own the craft. eFoils and electric surfboards are not named anywhere, so a board is at most a small marine unit and, for a visitor, an unregistered piece of sports equipment used under an operator's licence.

In September 2024 MTCIT issued safety guidelines for jet-ski and recreational marine-unit operators: no riding after sunset; life jackets for every customer; a means of emergency communication, a rescue crew, a first-aid kit and a standby boat or water bike on site; riding restricted to designated areas; a maximum of eight units at one location; weather checks before use; and no riding by anyone under 16 unless accompanied by an adult. These are conditions on commercial operators rather than a private-rider code, and no separate operator licence, minimum age or insurance requirement for private boards was found. Penalties under the Maritime Law range from OMR 500 to OMR 10,000 depending on the violation.

Riding is expected inside designated marine-sports areas. In Muscat, eFoil lessons run from Bandar Al Jissah (Shangri-La marina) and the Muscat Bay and Al Mouj waterfronts; public swimming beaches such as Qurum are outside the designated zones. The Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve, an hour offshore, requires visitors to arrive with an authorised operator or hold a permit for a private boat, bans landings, beach stops and camping from 1 May to 31 October, and prohibits touching or anchoring on coral and disturbing turtles and nesting birds; treat it as closed to powered boards outside an organised trip. Port Sultan Qaboos and the Sohar, Duqm and Salalah port limits are commercial waters.

Enforcement is by the Coast Guard and the Ministry's maritime inspectors, and the 2024 guidelines were issued as a safety alert after incidents involving rental jet skis. For visitors, the practical route is a licensed school or hotel water-sports centre working inside its designated area in daylight. Residents who import a board should ask the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs whether it must be registered as a marine unit and which areas are designated for marine sports, and should keep clear of swimming beaches and reserve waters.