Sultan Haitham unveils major welfare and job programmes in Oman

Dubai: On the sixth anniversary of his accession to the throne, Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman has issued a series of royal directives aimed at strengthening social welfare and supporting citizens’ living conditions, reaffirming his commitment to the prosperity and wellbeing of the Omani people, Oman News Agency (ONA) reported on Sunday.

The measures form part of a broader effort to address key social and economic needs, ranging from employment and housing to education and social protection.

Among the directives is the allocation of OMR50 million for economic and development-oriented projects designed to generate job opportunities for citizens. The funding will be channelled through the governors’ programmes under the 11th Five-Year Development Plan (2026–2030), with the total budget for these initiatives rising from 220 million to 270 million rials.

In the education sector, financial assistance will be provided to more than 73,000 school students during the two academic semesters. The support will be delivered through the National Social Protection System of the Royal Oman Police, with funding doubled from allocations of the Social Protection Fund.

Sultan Haitham also ordered amendments to certain provisions of the Social Protection Law, including those related to widows and orphans. The changes are expected to benefit more than 57,000 families.

In a bid to tackle unemployment, the government will accelerate the implementation of its job-seeker employment programme for 2026, which aims to create 60,000 job opportunities. Of these, 10,000 in the civil government sector, and 50,000 through government companies and private sector institutions.

An additional OMR100 million has been earmarked to support the Social Housing Programme for the years 2026 and 2027, strengthening access to stable housing for eligible families.

Sultan Haitham further directed that the disbursement of benefits under the Job Security System be extended from six months to one full year for all eligible cases, in line with established regulations. Further details are expected to be announced by the relevant authorities.

The royal directives were widely welcomed as a reaffirmation of the Sultan’s pledge to place citizens’ wellbeing at the heart of national development, reinforcing Oman’s focus on social cohesion, economic resilience and long-term stability.

Sultan Haitham, who succeeded the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said, acceded to the throne on January 11, 2020.