Oman sentences 59 expat workers to jail for Christmas Day riot, vandalism

A court in the Sultanate of Oman has sentenced 59 foreigners to jail on charges of rioting, vandalism, and spreading material that could harm public order, the Gulf country's public prosecution authority said on Saturday.

Investigations carried out by the authority revealed that on the evening of Thursday, December 25, 2025, the Royal Oman Police received a report of an incident that took place in the Sa'al area of the Wilayat of Bidbid. The report stated that the defendants were gathering, vandalising property, and inciting others to gather in the vicinity of a company-owned residential complex.

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When the police forces arrived at the scene, a large gathering of workers was spotted, and officers noted acts of vandalism against the company's facilities. Movement of the company's buses was also disrupted, and the vehicles were damaged.

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The police ordered the workers to end their gathering and acts of vandalism, and when they failed to comply, they were arrested and interrogated.

Court ruling

After completing the necessary legal procedures, the expat workers were referred to the competent court, which convicted 59 of them on January 8, 2026, of four misdemeanours as follows:

• Inciting and encouraging a gathering, which is punishable under Article (123) of the Penal Code

• Participating in a gathering of 10 or more persons in a public place that could disrupt public security and order, which is punishable under Article (121) of the same law

• Damaging movable and immovable property belonging to others, which is punishable under Article (367) of the Penal Code

• Using information technology to produce, possess, and disseminate material that could harm public order, which is punishable under Article (19) of the Cybercrime Law

The Court of First Instance sentenced those convicted to 3 months in prison for the first offence, 6 months for the second, 1 year for the third, and 1 year for the fourth.

In addition to jail sentences, the court also ordered the confiscation of the phones used in committing the publishing offences, and the permanent deportation of the defendants from the country.

Twenty-three defendants were acquitted in the same case.

Yasmin Hussein

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yasminabdel@khaleejtimes.com

Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.