Liability and Sanctions

Exemption from Liability

Any person is exempt from criminal, civil or administrative liability for any loss or claim resulting from freezing funds or economic resources or refusing to make them available or to provide financial services thereto, where such an act is carried out in good faith and for the purpose of complying with the freezing measures and the prohibition of making funds available to terrorists, financing of terrorism or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and its financing, in compliance with the Decision no. (1/2022) of NCTC.


Enforce Targeted Financial Sanctions

Failing to comply with the obligations listed under Chapter ‘Obligations to Implement Targeted Financial Sanctions’ will lead any natural or legal person, including FIs and DNFBPs, to being subject to the following sanctions:

  • Violators of the obligation to apply freezing measures or the prohibition of making funds and/or economic resources available shall be punishable in accordance with Article (3) and (4) of the National Counter-Terrorism Committee’s decision No. (1/2022) with an administrative fine of no less than OMR 10,000 and no more than the value equivalent to the frozen assets.

  • Whoever violates any other provisions of the NCTC Decision no. (1/2022) shall be punishable with an administrative fine of no less than OMR 5,000 and no more than OMR 20,000.

Additional sanctions related to Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs), and Non-Profit Associations and Entities (NPOs)

  • Regulatory authorities may impose any measures stipulated in Article (52) of the Law on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing No. (30/2016) on the DNFBPs and NPOs in case they fail to comply with their obligations in accordance with the clause: “Additional Obligations of Financial Institutions, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions and Non-Profit Associations and Entities”.

  • Regulatory authorities may also refer any violations committed by any financial institution or non-financial businesses pertaining to the responsibilities stipulated in the decision of the National Counter-Terrorism Committee No. (1/2022) to the internal enforcement and licensing departments of the said regulatory authorities for examination and imposing regulatory penalties. In case any controls and sanctions were imposed, the NCTC must be notified to that effect.