Oman's Financial Services Authority (FSA) has verified that the Unified Motor Vehicle Insurance Policy for Comprehensive and Third Party Coverage provides protection for damages resulting from natural disasters, including hail, wadis, storms and cyclones.
The FSA also pointed to a stipulation that policyholders must take all necessary precautions to protect lives and vehicles, according to a report by the newspaper Times of Oman. Policyholders must also follow the instructions of the Royal Oman Police, as deliberately crossing wadis and failing to follow instructions may result in forfeiture of the right to compensation if the danger occurs.
Insurance companies do not compensate for vehicles being submerged in wadis due to the deliberate actions of the vehicle owner, or even for leaving the vehicle in the wadi bed without taking the necessary precautions.
In addition, the Omani Traffic Law stipulates that a driver who deliberately crosses wadis in a manner that endangers his life, the lives of his passengers, or the lives of others, shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months and a fine not exceeding OMR500 ($1,300), or by one of these two penalties.
The Omani authorities have issued similar warnings about wadi crossings over the years.