Salalah Khareef Kiosks Face Hidden-Trade Scrutiny as 12 of 15 Madhbi Stalls Appear Expat-Run
Updated
Updated · Oman Observer · Aug 17
Salalah Khareef Kiosks Face Hidden-Trade Scrutiny as 12 of 15 Madhbi Stalls Appear Expat-Run
1 articles · Updated · Oman Observer · Aug 17
Summary
15 madhbi kiosks were operating at Nashib this Khareef, and one Omani permit holder estimated only three were directly managed by their licensed Omani owners.
The concern is not expatriate staffing itself but arrangements where permit holders surrender control, risk and profits for fixed payments while others effectively run the business.
RO 600 to RO 700 a month from 10 rented licences once made such deals attractive, a second Omani investor said, before tighter post-pandemic checks pushed him to exit the practice.
April 2026 enforcement data show Oman verified 27,288 Riyada-linked registrations, issued 409 undertakings, suspended 45 registrations and saw 696 businesses regularise their status.
For Khareef's short tourism season, officials and investors say success should be judged not just by permits issued but by whether kiosks are genuinely owner-managed and quickly reallocated if cancelled.