MUSCAT: Expats who work in construction and cleaning jobs in Oman are set to be affected by the Ministry of Manpower’s extension of its visa ban in the country, as the Sultanate continues to push its Omanisation policy forward.
The Ministry of Manpower (MoM) has banned the issuance of new visas to private sector establishments engaged in construction and cleaning works for a period of six months.
Abdullah bin Nasser bin Abdullah al Bakri, Minister of Manpower, has issued a decision 517/2019 to temporarily suspend the recruitment of expatriates in construction and cleaning jobs.
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However, those companies who have more than 100 workers are exempted from this decision by the ministry. “Article 2 also states that the decision does not apply to the establishments employing 100 workers or more, establishments operating in the implementation of government projects, establishments registered with the Public Authority for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises, and insured by the Public Authority for Social Insurance, and establishments registered in the excellent class with headquarters in the free zones,” the statement from the Ministry said.
The Ministry of Manpower first introduced the visa ban in January, 2018 as as part of the Omanization project. The ban has been extended a number of times since it was introduced.
