Oman orders the payment of salaries to public and private sector employees in early March, before Eid al-Fitr/representative image
As Eid al-Fitr 1447 AH approaches, authorities in the Sultanate of Oman have directed government agencies and private companies to release March salaries earlier than usual to help workers prepare for the holiday.
The move aims to ensure financial stability for employees across the country ahead of the holiday period, as ministries set specific deadlines for processing salaries and payments.The Ministry of Finance issued Circular No. 1/2026, directing government agencies to accelerate the payment of salaries to employees working in the state’s administrative apparatus. The directive sets out a series of deadlines that ministries and government units must follow to ensure that March salaries and pensions are paid before Eid.
According to the circular, March 8, 2026 has been set as a deadline for ministries and government agencies to enter salary and wage data into their human resources systems. After this step, the internal audit units must complete the review and approval of the salary disbursement vouchers within the unified financial system by March 15, 2026. Once these procedures are completed, the official date scheduled for the disbursement of March salaries and pensions is March 17, 2026.
In addition to the government directive, the Ministry of Labor issued a separate circular directed to all private sector establishments operating under the Labor Law (Royal Decree No. 53/2023). The Ministry directed employers to accelerate the payment of wages to their workers in light of the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday.
“Indo-Oman FTA will open huge opportunities across key sectors”: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal
The circular stipulates that employers must ensure that March 2026 wages are deposited no later than Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
The Ministry stressed that companies must adhere to this schedule to help workers meet their financial needs during the holiday period.The Ministry of Labor said in its announcement that the directive was issued specifically as Eid al-Fitr celebrations approach. The Ministry stated that all private sector establishments covered by the Labor Law must expedite the payment of workers’ wages for the month of March and ensure that funds are transferred before the specified date.By setting clear deadlines for employers in the public and private sectors, the Omani authorities aim to ensure that workers receive their salaries in time before Eid al-Fitr, allowing families across the country to prepare for the festival without financial delays.
