MUSCAT : Barbershop owners in Oman say a new Ministry of Labour rule requiring businesses to employ at least one Omani worker before renewing expatriate employee permits is forcing small salons into operational and financial strain, with some shops closing after being unable to meet the condition.

Ahmed bin Ali Al Raisi, an entrepreneur speaking in an interview with Al Wisal Radio, said the decision had become a “fundamental challenge” for barbershops, a sector that relies almost entirely on expatriate workers due to limited interest among young Omanis in the profession.

He said the measure, implemented without adequate assessment, had “disrupted daily operations, reduced revenues and even led to closures” as some shop owners were unable to renew work permits for existing staff. The resulting labour shortages have narrowed customer capacity and slowed services.

According to Al Raisi, some business owners have resorted to registering relatives including mothers as nominal employees to meet the localisation requirement, a workaround he warned could create “future social and legal risks”, particularly in relation to pension and employment rights.

The rule has also caused temporary “freezing of commercial registrations,” he said, preventing shop owners from renewing permits for existing workers or bringing in replacements. This, he added, had contributed to a rise in “informal labour” as salons struggled to remain operational.

Al Raisi noted that employing an Omani worker costs no less than RO 325 a month — a burden many small barbershops withthin profit margins cannot absorb.

He urged the Ministry of Labour to grant a temporary exemption for the barbershop sector given its structural reliance on expatriate labour, and instead focus localisation efforts on “higher-income sectors” better able to absorb job creation targets. He also called for greater flexibility in implementing the rule and recommended regular consultations between authorities and small-business owners to ensure future policies are “aligned with practical realities” and help sustain micro-enterprises.

The Ministry of Labour has not publicly commented on whether revisions to the rule are under consideration.

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