Dubai: In a bid to correct the labor market imbalance and promote national employment, Oman’s Ministry of Labour has announced that every private sector establishment must now employ at least one Omani citizen. This directive comes in response to recent data showing that over 245,000 private companies employ more than 1.1 million foreign workers, yet have not hired a single Omani.
The figures highlight significant gaps in the country’s "Omanisation" policy — a national strategy aimed at integrating Omani nationals into the workforce. While some large companies have implemented Omanisation to a certain extent, a vast number of businesses continue to operate entirely without Omani employees, despite profiting within the Sultanate's economy.
Ministry data shows that around 1,000 major establishments employ 200,000 Omanis alongside 245,000 expatriates, achieving a 44% Omanisation rate. In contrast, 19,000 companies employ just 60,000 Omanis while hiring over 300,000 foreign workers, resulting in a 17% Omanisation rate.
The most striking revelation comes from the remaining 245,000 businesses — mostly small and medium-sized enterprises — that employ over 1.1 million expatriates without a single Omani worker. The Ministry emphasized that this structural imbalance threatens the sustainability of national employment goals and limits opportunities for local talent.
While acknowledging the challenges some sectors and small businesses face in hiring local talent, the Ministry stated that the practice of operating without any Omani nationals will no longer be acceptable going forward.
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