Nationalisation of workforce in GCC urged

Muscat: A royal family member and advisor to the Omani leader has urged more and more private sector companies in the GCC states to nationalise human resources and praised efforts of some of the companies in replacing the expatriate staff.

“Private companies and establishments in the GCC countries have made ample and impressive achievements in the field of training and employment of national manpower,” said Sayyid Shihab Bin Tariq Al Said, the Omani Sultan’s adviser, during a function to honour private sector companies and establishments in the field of nationalisation of jobs at Al Bustan Palace Hotel on Sunday evening.

“I hope hoped that the other GCC private companies and establishments will follow suit,” he said.

Shaikh Abdullah Bin Nasir Bin Abdullah Al Bakri, Oman’s Manpower Minister, said that nationalisation of workforce, so far, had reflected positively on the development of human resources in the GCC member states.

According to Sultan Bin Hassan Al Dosari, Qatari Labour Minister, the GCC countries had initiatives to encourage private sector companies in the nationalisation of workforce and honour those who succeed in that.

Abdul Rahman bin Hamad Al Attiyah, GCC Secretary-General believes that the GCC countries are responsible for training their national manpower. “They should develop the appropriate training plans and programmes to develop human resources till they can play key role in the development process witnessed by the GCC,” he opined.

Salim Bin Ali Al Mahiri, Director-General of the executive office for the Council of GCC ministers of labour and social affairs, said that the labour programmes and plans proved that this approach aims at achieving the results and not merely making decisions which have been previously made by the council.

Musallam bin Salim Al Rahbi, speaking on behalf of entrepreneurs, said that the first-of-its-kind celebration to honour entrepreneurs at the GCC level will make the entrepreneurs more enthusiastic to develop projects, thereby contributing to the social and economic development processes and creating job opportunities for the youth in the GCC countries.