Muscat – Talking to media representatives following the annual conference, H.E. Dr. Mahad bin Said bin Ali Ba’owain, Minister of Labour, acknowledged figures mentioning thousands of job opportunities for expatriate workers.

He expressed concern that 90 percent of these jobs are in sectors that are unattractive to Omanis due to low salaries.

“When we talk about numbers, we are talking about complete transparency, which is the first step to finding a solution. Providing 35,000 jobs will not solve the problem of job seekers, and there must be other endeavors, for example we open small and medium enterprises, self-employment. Employment output is linked to diversified economic growth,” he stated.

Providing insights into the demographic makeup of the government sector workforce, the Minister shed light on the balance between Omani citizens and expatriates in government employment.
He highlighted that Omani nationals constitute a significant majority, accounting for approximately 87 percent of the workforce in the government sector.

He acknowledged the presence of expatriate workers in the government sector, but clarified that they primarily hold technical positions requiring specialized skills. These positions may take time to be filled by qualified Omanis, he noted.

The Minister emphasized ongoing collaboration with relevant authorities to facilitate a smooth transition towards a more Omanized government workforce.