Purpose of the study: The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors causing the change orders in construction projects and to assess their impact on the project's performance in Oman. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was conducted using a random sampling technique. The questionnaire was used to collect data from215contractingcompanies located in Muscat Governorate, Oman. Statistical analyses such as the chi-square test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, and linear regression tests were used. Findings: The result of the study showed that the variations have more impacts on the project and the change orders harm the project most. It was also revealed that 'change in specifications’, ‘Alterations in design and drawing' and Time lag in the project implementation were considered to be the primary causes of change orders, and ‘Change of scope’, ‘Errors and omissions in design' and 'Insufficient Logistics’ were the primary causes of variations affecting the construction projects in Oman. Research Implications: It was suggested to plan for a strategy to avoid the time lag and to take up adequate financial pre-planning to maximize the profit. Social Implications: The findings of the study help the companies to take proactive measures to eliminate or reduce unnecessary variations and change orders to accomplish the prime objectives of such projects. Originality/value: This is the first study of its kind in bringing out the issues related to change orders and variations in the construction projects of Muscat Governorate, Oman. Keywords: Change Orders, Variations, Causes and Impacts on the Construction Projects, Construction Projects in Oman, Clients, Contractors, and Consultants.

Purpose of the study: The purpose of the study was to investigate and measure the competitive environment in the banking sector in Oman. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study considered an effort towards measuring the nature of competition of 12 out of 16 Omani banks from 2009 to 2019 over applying Panzar and Rosse (PR-model). It measured the competition index, called H-statistic, as it gives a quantitative assessment of the competitive nature of the studied market. The non-structural model was adopted to measure the competitive behavior of the banking sector. The data was taken from Muscat Securities Market (MSM) over obtaining financial statements of banks and data was tested using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings: The result showed that it was not able to reject the monopolistic competition that H value considered between values of zero and one for the banking market in Oman. Thus, Omani banks operate under monopolistic competition. Practical Implications: The study has interesting policy implications. It is recommended to encourage foreign banks' presence to enhance the competitive condition of the banking sector thus making sure the exit and the entrance of banks in the industry to raise the competition. Social Implications: The flexibility in the competitive condition of the banking sector will lead to an increased competition so this will produce a variety of services and products to improve the banks’ performance and customer satisfaction. Originality/value: This is the first study of its kind in studying and testing the competitive environment for the banking sector in Oman using the PR-model. Keywords: Banking Competition in Oman, Monopolistic Competition, Market Equilibrium, Market contestability, Pazan, and Rosse (PR model).