Oman on course to providing employment to all citizens

Muscat: Ten per cent of jobs in Oman still occupied by expatriates in private and government sectors could possibly be taken over by Omanis, Minister of Labour, Dr Mahad Bin Saeed Saeed, said. He also said that menial jobs cannot be a priority as Omanis’ potential can be better utilised for skilled jobs.

Baouin said all processes have now been completed in the Labour Law, which will be submitted to Oman Council for its consideration after review by various authorities. The Minister, who was talking on Oman TV, explained that within the first quarter of this year, 10,000 jobs were created for Omanis against the 32,000 target for this year.

Out of the 10,000 jobs provided for Omanis, 4,000 were in the government sector, with the rest in other sectors, including on-job training that is associated with employment.

Due to COVID-19 business deceleration, many companies had resorted to retrenchment of staff, which resulted in many expatriates employed in Oman going back to their home countries. Those remaining now will be the target for replacement with Omanis.

The Omanisation drive was undertaken with more focused approach and determination last year and many industries, including financial and insurance fields, were targetted to accelerate the Omanisation programme.

The Minister also said that laying off Omani workers or reducing their salaries will not be allowed without notifying the Ministry of Labour in advance. This added protection for Omani workforce also requires the employer, workers’ union representative and a representative from the Ministry of Labour to hold a tripartite discussion to find the real cause of the problem before any decision is taken.

Last year, the ministry was able to stop 70,000 Omanis from being laid off.