Oman Jails 59 Expat Workers Over Christmas Day Riot and Vandalism
Court orders prison terms, confiscation of mobile phones and permanent deportation; 23 others acquitted.
Staff WriterJan 12, 2026, 11:26 AMA court in Oman has sentenced 59 expatriate workers to prison after convicting them of rioting, vandalism and spreading content deemed harmful to public order, the Public Prosecution Authority said on Saturday.
According to investigators, the incident occurred on the evening of December 25, 2025, in the Sa’al area of the Wilayat of Bidbid. The Royal Oman Police received reports that a group of workers had gathered near a company-owned residential complex, vandalised property and incited others to join the gathering.
Police officers who arrived at the scene found a large crowd engaged in acts of vandalism against company facilities. The movement of company buses was disrupted and several vehicles were damaged.
Authorities said police repeatedly ordered the workers to disperse and stop damaging property, but when they failed to comply, the group was arrested and taken in for questioning.
Following the completion of legal procedures, the defendants were referred to the competent court. On January 8, 2026, the Court of First Instance convicted 59 of them on four misdemeanour charges: inciting and encouraging a gathering, participating in an unlawful assembly of 10 or more people that could disturb public order, damaging movable and immovable property belonging to others, and using information technology to produce and disseminate material harmful to public order.
The court sentenced the convicted workers to three months’ imprisonment for incitement, six months for participating in the gathering, one year for property damage and one year for cybercrime-related offences.
In addition to the jail terms, the court ordered the confiscation of mobile phones used to publish the offending material and imposed permanent deportation from Oman on those convicted.
Twenty-three defendants were acquitted in the same case.
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