Dubai: Oman’s Ministry of Labour has announced that the Sultanate is planning to employ 40 per cent of Omani job seekers by the end of 2021 and around 85 per cent by next year, local media reported.
During an interview with Oman TV, the minister Dr. Mahad Ba’owain, said the recent Omanisation decisions would help create more job opportunities for nationals.
Oman’s private sector is projected to take in 70 per cent of Omani job seekers while the public sector will take in the remaining 30 per cent, Ba’owain added.
He noted the decisions taken were in line with Oman’s Vision 2040, the country’s 10th five-year plan to address job market challenges and to support the government’s strategy towards digitalisation.
During the interview, the minister said, “Most of the current plans take Omanisation into account, so we expect that these decisions will create approximately 15,000 to 20,000 jobs for those seeking employment. This will be based on the actual employment needs of the country. The ministry’s role is to find sustainable employment for the existing numbers of job seekers in the sectors our country currently has. There are also upcoming initiatives in specialised sectors of our economy, such as education and healthcare. There are also professions in which Omanis will soon replace foreign workers, and updates on this will be announced in a timely manner.”
The government is currently collaborating with the private sector, Omani job seekers and the General Federation of Oman Workers to devise initiatives and find jobs through which they could make a difference in the current climate.
“The COVID-19 pandemic came after a period of economic stagnation that lasted for four or five years, and its impact is equal to what we felt during these years,” added Ba’owain.
“The economic downturn caused by the coronavirus has not just created major problems in terms of generating employment, but also in terms of laying people off. The ministry is trying to not lay off Omanis, although we have about 300 companies who together employ about 70,000 workers demanding the dismissal and demobilisation of Omani citizens.”
