National Addressing System

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====== General naming principles ======

  - Street names **must **be unique within a municipality. 
  - Street names **must** be selected from a national name database. 
  - Street names **must** be culturally appropriate and not offensive. 
  - Street names **must** follow proper Arabic spelling and Romanization rules. 
  - Street names **must** avoid religious, political, or commercial names unless officially approved. 
  - Street names **should** reflect local identity, heritage, or topographic/geographic features or functional elements (e.g., “Industrial Street”, “Hospital Road”) where appropriate. 
  - Street names **should** be short and clear (e.g., < 20 characters in Latin script) and one should avoid complex compound names, abbreviations, or words that are difficult to pronounce. 
  - Different classes of streets **may** have indicative suffixes like for main roads “Street”, “Road”, “Highway” and local roads “Way”, “Lane”, “Alley”.  Use of these should follow the road classification schema provided in the address model. (
  - A continuous street **should** maintain the same name across its length unless it crosses a wilayat or governorate boundary, or it is physically disconnected by a natural or man-made barrier. In such cases, a new name may be applied with justification. 
  - In grid layouts, numeric naming conventions (e.g., “Street 1”, “Street 2”) **may** be used but this is **not** recommended as good practice.


===== Rules for when street names can be reused in adjacent Wilayat =====

  - No duplicate street names shall be used within the same municipality.
  - Adjacent municipalities are not permitted to have streets with the same name, to prevent confusion in navigation and service delivery.
  - Where adjacent Wilayat wish to use the same street name, the following rule applies:
    - If the Wilayat in question are within the same Governorate, the Governor's Office shall mitigate between the two to find a solution.
    - If a solution cannot be reached, a buffer zone of 20 km must exist between any two streets using the same name.
    - This buffer is measured as the shortest linear distance between the street closest end of the road center lines of each named street.
  - Specialized economic zones/free zones are not permitted to reuse street names in surrounding/enclosing Wilayat, to prevent confusion in navigation and service delivery. 
  - Where an adjacent economic free zone and a municipality both wish to using the same street name the same rule applies as for neighboring Wilayat. 
    - The Governor's Office together with OPAZ shall try to find a solution to avoid the duplication of names. 
    - If there still is a shared interest, a buffer zone of 10 km must exist between any two streets using the same name.
    - This buffer is measured as the shortest linear distance between the street closest end of the road center lines of each named street.
  - For adjacent municipalities that have clear division in the form of mountain passes, long stretches on non-descript desert or no accessibility whatsoever between them the following rues applies: 
    - Names may be reused, subject to a 10 km distance between wherever there is access between the Wilayat or likely to become access in the near future 
    - Names may be reused freely where there is no access and clear physical barriers between two adjacent Wilayat, irrespective of distance between the names.
    - A [[:adjacent-wilayat-naming-assessment|list of Wilayat that this applies to is available here]].


===== Cross-governorate coordination =====

  - Coordinate and resolve cross-governorate naming disagreements is the task of the National Addressing System Committee.
  - If adjacent Wilayat fall within different governorates and seek to use the same street name, they must: 
    - Convene a joint meeting between the respective Governorate Offices.
    - Formally agree on the use of the name and ensure (1) Clarity in signage and map data and (2) Distinct prefixes/suffixes or district indicators if necessary (e.g., “Al Rahma Street", Wilayat Rustaq (in Al Batinah South)  vs. “Al Rahma Street" in Wilayat Ibri (in Al Dhahirah).
    - Seek assistance from the National Addressing System Committee when needed.


===== Prohibited naming conflicts =====

  - In continuous metropolitan areas, no repetition of street names is permitted at all due to high density and interconnectivity.
    - The coastal stretch of Muscat area: Muscat (excluding Sifah), Muttrah, Bawshar and Seeb
    - The Al Batinah South coastline: Barka, Musannah, 
    - The Al Batinah North coastline: Suwayq, Al Khaburah, Saham, Sohar
  - Reuse of names from national roads (e.g., Sultan Qaboos Street) must be centrally approved and should be limited.