Oman’s Sultan Haitham Issues Two Royal Decrees on OIC Charter and Rwanda Visa Waiver

Muscat: His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has issued two new Royal Decrees covering Oman’s international commitments — one concerning an amendment to the Charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the other approving a visa-waiver agreement with Rwanda for certain passport holders.

The two decrees, Royal Decree No. 87/2026 and Royal Decree No. 88/2026, were issued on October 4, according to the Oman News Agency (ONA).

Royal Decree No. 87/2026 — OIC Charter amendment

The first decree, Royal Decree No. 87/2026, formally ratifies an amendment to the Charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The amendment concerns the first paragraph of Article 8 of the OIC Charter. Oman had previously ratified the amended OIC Charter through Royal Decree No. 44/2015.

According to the decree, the latest amendment is being ratified in accordance with Council of Foreign Ministers Decision No. 3/44-AT, which deals with the frequency of convening the Islamic Summit.

The decree also directs the competent Omani authorities to deposit the country’s instrument of ratification of the amendment in accordance with the relevant provisions.

The decree will be published in Oman’s Official Gazette and comes into force from the date it was issued.

Royal Decree No. 88/2026 — Oman-Rwanda visa waiver agreement

The second decree, Royal Decree No. 88/2026, concerns an agreement between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Government of the Republic of Rwanda.

Sultan Haitham formally ratified the agreement providing for a mutual visa waiver for holders of diplomatic, private and service passports.

The agreement was signed in Salalah, Oman, on September 8, 2026.

Under the Royal Decree, the agreement is ratified according to its attached version. Like the first decree, it is to be published in Oman’s Official Gazette and enters into force from the date of issuance.

What the two decrees mean

The two Royal Decrees cover different aspects of Oman’s international engagement.

The first strengthens Oman’s formal participation in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation framework by ratifying the agreed amendment to the organisation’s charter.

The second is focused on Oman-Rwanda diplomatic and official travel relations, making it easier for eligible holders of diplomatic, private and service passports to travel between the two countries under the agreed visa-waiver arrangement.

Together, the decrees represent fresh official actions by Sultan Haitham concerning both multilateral Islamic cooperation and bilateral relations with Rwanda.