MUSCAT – The Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD) and Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) will launch a two-week summer internship programme on 7 June, giving 18 undergraduate students exposure to companies operating inside one of Oman’s fastest-growing industrial and logistics hubs.

The programme is designed to help students see Duqm not only as a national development project but as a working economy, with companies, teams, operational demands and career paths already in place.

Students will be placed with OQ8, ASYAD Drydock, Oman Tank Terminal Company, SIMAK, Port of Duqm, ASYAD Container Terminal, Crowne Plaza Duqm and Renaissance Services. Rather than observing operations from the sidelines, they will work on assignments connected to day-to-day activity across the zone.

Duqm has spent several years building industrial, logistics, maritime and energy capabilities at scale. The next challenge is partly a talent one – giving young Omanis earlier contact with the industries growing in Al Wusta and helping employers build relationships with future graduates before they enter the labour market.

Participants from SQU’s colleges of Engineering, Agricultural & Marine Sciences, Science, Arts & Social Sciences and Economics & Political Science will work alongside company teams under the supervision of both industry mentors and university faculty. The programme also includes evening talks from professionals across the SEZAD tenant community and a weekend challenge focused on attracting young professionals to Duqm.

The launch comes as investment activity across Duqm continues to broaden. NCSI figures show FDI in Oman reached RO31.4bn (US$81.6bn) end of 2025, up 8.1 percent year-on-year while manufacturing activity increased 2.5% and transport and storage activity was up 3.6 percent. Projects linked to green hydrogen, advanced manufacturing, fisheries, tourism and logistics are moving into new phases of development, increasing demand for technically trained graduates with workplace experience alongside academic qualifications.

His Excellency Qais Al Yousef, Chairman, Public Authority for Special Economic Zones & Free Zones (OPAZ) said: “Duqm’s development depends not just on infrastructure and investment but on young Omanis seeing a future for themselves in the industries taking shape here. This year’s summer internship program gives students direct exposure to those industries and gives companies an earlier connection with future talent. Stronger links between universities and employers are essential to Oman’s long-term competitiveness.”

Professor Salim Al Harthy, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & Community Service, SQU, commented: “Students gain something very different when academic learning is tested inside a real workplace. They will see expectations and decision-making at close range while contributing to assignments that carry value for host companies. That experience gives greater meaning to what they learn in lectures and helps prepare them for professional life.”

The summer internship reflects a wider international emphasis on closer cooperation between universities and employers, particularly across sectors linked to industrial growth and technology. Omani employers increasingly want graduates who arrive with a clearer understanding of workplace culture, operational pressures and commercial environments.

For companies operating in Duqm, the programme provides additional support on live projects and a chance to engage early with emerging local talent. For students, it offers a closer view of how large industrial, logistics, hospitality and services businesses work in practice and how their academic training can connect with real opportunities in Al Wusta.

Eng. Ahmed Akaak, CEO, SEZAD, said: “The measure of success won’t only be how much students have seen by the end of two weeks. It will be how much closer Duqm feels to becoming part of their professional future.”