MUSCAT : Oman’s Shura Council will hold three regular sessions next week, including two public hearings focused on employment policy, labour market reforms and job creation, as it reviews the Ministry of Labour’s performance and plans, the council said.

The council will host His Excellency Dr. Mahad bin Said Baawain, Oman’s Minister of Labour, on Jan. 7–8, when he is scheduled to present his ministry’s statement to lawmakers during open sessions, Majlis Al Shura Secretary-General Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Nadabi said.

According to Al Nadabi, the statement will be structured around five main themes, beginning with labour market policies, plans and programmes under the 10th Five-Year Development Plan (2021–2025), aligned with Oman Vision 2040. This section will cover progress on ministry-led programmes, reforms to labour market policies, support and incentives for private-sector firms, outcomes of the National Employment Programme, and efforts to align education outputs with labour market needs, including forward-looking initiatives for future jobs in both the public and private sectors.

A second theme will address labour legislation governing public and private employment, including executive regulations of the Labour Law and their impact on private-sector businesses. The minister is also expected to outline the ministry’s views on the proposed Civil Service Law and its anticipated role in improving public-sector work environments, managing fixed-term contract employment, and issuing decisions aimed at generating sustainable job opportunities through new hiring and replacement schemes.

The hearings will also examine the legislative impact—positive and negative—of labour-related decisions and circulars, as well as the performance management system for public-sector employees and its implications for promotions compared with previous frameworks.

A third theme will focus on employment in the public and private sectors, detailing efforts to narrow the gap between labour supply and demand, localisation and replacement programmes, initiatives to improve conditions for private-sector workers, and measures addressing cases of terminated employees.

Training and skills development will form the fourth theme, including programmes to equip nationals for jobs across sectors, training-linked employment initiatives, partnerships with private companies for on-the-job training, and the impact of training allocations on actual hiring outcomes. The ministry will also outline work on updating professional standards and developing a national skills and training project in coordination with government entities and employers.

The fifth theme will cover digital transformation, including plans to build a national workforce database and expand digital platforms for labour market planning and monitoring demand.

Separately, the Shura Council will convene its sixth regular session on Jan. 6 to debate a draft Urban Planning Law referred by the government. The session will also discuss a report by the Youth and Human Resources Committee on proposals to increase financial allocations for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and strengthen support for sports clubs.

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