Muscat: Eng. Ahmed Akaak, CEO, SEZAD, views the SEZAD – Sultan Qaboos University Summer Internship Program as a way to give young Omanis early exposure to the world of work and to cutting-edge businesses in Duqm. For SQU undergraduates, the program is designed to provide insight into the job market, helping them make better informed choices about the careers they may want to pursue.

What sparked the idea for the internship program?

The idea came from a shared conversation with Professor Salim Al Harthy, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & Community Service at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). We wanted students to get a first serious look at work while they’re still shaping their plans. A port, a drydock, a fisheries plant or a hotel operation teaches you things a classroom can’t. We also know internships lead somewhere. Data from the US-based National Association of Colleges and Employers shows employers offered full-time roles to around 62% of their 2023 – 24 interns, with conversion just under 51%. Today, internships have moved centre stage, they’re now one of the clearest routes from study into work.

Why team up with Sultan Qaboos University?

SQU gives us strong students from a wide range of disciplines. This summer’s pilot brings together 16 undergraduates from Engineering, Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Science, Arts and Social Sciences and Economics and Political Science. That mix matters because Duqm isn’t one industry. It’s a rich working environment covering everything from renewables and petrochemicals to logistics and hospitality. And that’s just the start. Students need to see what Duqm can offer them as professionals and individuals.

Why involve companies from across the Duqm business community?

Because each company shows a different side of Duqm. OQ8, ASYAD Drydock, Oman Tank Terminal Company, SIMAK, Port of Duqm, ASYAD Container Terminal, Crowne Plaza Duqm and Renaissance Village all operate in different worlds, yet those worlds connect. A student may arrive thinking about one sector and leave with a broader sense of how energy, logistics, food production, ports and hospitality support each other.

What do students gain that a classroom can’t give them?

They gain context. They see meetings, deadlines, safety standards, customer expectations and technical decisions in action. That helps them connect what they study with how businesses run  on a day-to-day basis. Many students return to university asking sharper, more informed questions.

What does the evidence from Oman tell us about internships?

A really useful reference is a 2024 study of SQU engineering students who took part in Eidaad, Oman’s nine-month industrial internship program. It looked at current and former interns from the program’s first three years and found positive gains in teamwork, communication, career clarity, professionalism and work ethic. The value of that finding is clear. When internships are well structured, students don’t just enjoy the experience, they come away with a clearer sense of the workplace and their own readiness for it.

How do students change during a program like this?

You often see it in small moments. A student asks a sharper question on the second day than they did on the first. They start noticing how people go about tackling problems, how teams interact, how responsibility is handled. By the end, they may not have all the answers but they have a clearer sense of how work actually gets done. That is a real step forward.

Does internship experience really improve employment outcomes?

Yes, when it’s well run. The same NACE research shows internships remain one of the most reliable hiring channels with a large share of interns receiving full-time offers. For Duqm, that’s important. Students aren’t observing remotely – they’re stepping into real operations which is where the strongest learning tends to happen.

What’s in it for the companies involved?

Companies get to know students before recruitment begins. They can see how they work and respond to the demands of a real professional setting. There’s also a longer-term benefit. UK graduate-employer research shows 32% of employers say graduates who began as interns are more likely to stay with the company than those hired directly. For companies in Duqm that means internships can help build a stronger pool of young people who already understand the workplace.

Some people may say two weeks isn’t long enough. How would you respond?

They’re right to ask the question. Two weeks won’t build deep technical expertise and we shouldn’t pretend otherwise. What it can do is open a door. Students get an early, honest view of working life and a better sense of the skills they still need to strengthen. That kind of clarity can shape how they approach the rest of their studies.

How do you want this program to grow?

This summer’s pilot includes 16 students which gives us room to learn before we expand. Our hope is to bring more SEZAD tenants into the program next year so more students from more disciplines can spend time working in Duqm. The goal isn’t just employment, it’s to help young Omanis build confidence and a clearer sense of the kind of work and careers they want to pursue.