MUSCAT : Nama Water Services has achieved 100% Omanisation across its workforce, while training-linked employment programmes at its contractors have offered 1,188 permanent job opportunities for Omanis over the past three years, company executives said.

The proportion of Omanis working under operations and maintenance contracts at supporting companies has risen to 90% from about 55%, Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Nuaimi, chief executive for operations and maintenance, told Oman News Agency.

The 1,188 opportunities were announced across three phases, comprising 479 in the first, 406 in the second and 303 in the third. Selection and assessment of applicants for the third phase are currently under way, he said.

The programmes link recruitment to specialised training and contract requirements, expanding Omani participation in engineering, technical, administrative and technology roles.

Al Nuaimi said the aim extended beyond increasing employment numbers to developing local expertise in areas that had relied to varying degrees on expatriate workers.

Participants gain experience in operating facilities, managing networks and maintaining infrastructure, helping contractors build their technical capabilities and opening career paths for young Omanis across the country’s governorates, he said.

Taqi bin Mohammed Al Lawati, chief executive for human resources and culture, said Nama Water Services was aligning workforce development with its investment in infrastructure, networks and technology.

The company is identifying priority specialisations and addressing skills gaps to ensure employees can manage its assets and respond to changes in technology and operations, he said.

Its training programmes cover students, graduates, specialist employees and prospective leaders, supporting both current operational needs and future expansion.

Under its “Taزيز” (Taaziz) programme, graduates receive a full year of on-the-job training and a financial allowance. Participants work alongside experienced employees and take part in daily operations to develop technical, administrative and interpersonal skills.

The company has also expanded specialist training through a programme with Chinese company HCIG covering 100 employees in four groups.

The programme addresses project management, design, planning, artificial intelligence and customer service. It includes visits to advanced water and wastewater treatment facilities, exposure to wastewater-to-energy technologies, and training in modern project and asset management practices.

Al Lawati said participants had applied the knowledge to projects, field activities and technical and administrative work, while sharing their experience with colleagues.

For university and college students, the company’s “Jusoor” programme provides practical training across 23 academic disciplines. It receives more than 300 students annually from 18 higher education institutions in Oman and has delivered more than 126,000 training hours.

The latest edition, which concluded in September 2026, hosted 355 students between June and August, including 100 trainees in Muscat Governorate.

Students gain supervised workplace experience and learn about careers in the water sector, while the company helps develop talent for future industry needs, Al Lawati said.

Nama Water Services has also completed four editions of its “Taqaddum” leadership development programme, focusing on decision-making, project management, teamwork and innovation.

The initiative prepares employees for greater responsibility and supports continuity of institutional expertise as the company expands its projects.

Al Nuaimi said future efforts would focus on specialist and emerging skills, international experience and the development of Omani leaders capable of managing growing infrastructure and technological change.

The company said its workforce investment supports Oman Vision 2040 by strengthening national expertise and increasing the local economic and social benefits of water and wastewater projects.

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