Ban is aimed at ensuring jobs for locals; at least 32,000 Omanis have been employed in the past six months

Muscat: The Ministry of Manpower has extended a temporary ban on hiring expats in the country.
On January 25, the ministry banned the issuance of new visas for workers in 87 professions for six months.
The new ban, which goes into effect on July 30, will also be effective for six months.
“The period of ban, on permits to bring temporary expatriate manpower in the private sector estab-lishments for the professions specified in Ministerial Decision No. 38/2018, shall continue for a period of six months from 30 July 2018,” according to the decision of the Ministry of Manpower.
Media, airlines, accounting, management, medical, information systems and insurance are sectors which will be impacted the most.
The decision does not apply to establishments registered with the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development and insured with the Public Authority for Social Insurance (PASI).
An official at the Manpower Ministry, told Gulf News that the new decision aims to ensure more jobs go to Omanis and is part of the government’s Omanisiation policy.
In the past six months, at least 32,000 Omanis have been given jobs in private sector companies, the official said.
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