Oman extends localisation to higher education jobs

Oman pushed forward its programme of replacing foreign workers with locals yesterday with a decision to allocate many jobs at higher education establishments to citizens, the labour ministry said, Reuters reported. Oman’s government has in recent weeks intensified a longstanding policy, known as Omanisation, to create employment opportunities for its citizens to help shore-up the economy. In the latest move to create jobs for Omanis, the ministry of labour yesterday said jobs in administration, finance, student affairs and student and career guidance would be given to Omanis in the country’s 28 private higher education institutions. Omanis will replace foreigners in those positions when existing work permits expire, the ministry said. In a shake-up of the labour system for 2021, the labour ministry last month said it would be raising fees for bringing in nonOmani workers, targeting senior and specialised positions.

It also announced plans for sector-specific training programmes for Omanis, and to make the benefits of working in the private sector closer to those obtained by workers in government jobs. The number of foreign workers in the Gulf state began to fall in 2018, having risen year on year before then, national data since 2004 shows. Foreign workers in Oman fell by 15.7% during 2020, 4.2% in 2019, and 3.6% in 2018, national statistics agency data shows.