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Brilliant expatriates including creative minds, innovators, programmers and entrepreneurs in Oman will soon be able to apply for the long-term visa as part of the second phase of the investor residency programme. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Dubai: Talented expatriates living and working in Oman can very soon apply for a long-term residence visa, state news agency ONA said on Wednesday.

Khalid Al Shuaibi, head of the National Programme for Investment and Export Development, confirmed that the Sultanate is considering expanding the investor residence programme to include the categories of creators and innovators.

“After implementing the first phase of the programme, we discovered that there is an increasing demand from other potential categories of some innovators and important segments of the economy that we are seeking,” Al Shuaibi said during a presentation on the 2021 annual report of the Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit.

Al Shuaibi clarified that a proposal has been submitted to the Council of Ministers that includes new target groups, and it will be announced as soon as the proposal for the second phase of the residency programme is approved.

He said the new categories proposed in the second phase include creators, innovators, programmers and entrepreneurs as important human capital for the national economy.