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Following the recent visa ban on expat workers in the Sultanate, Oman’s Ministry of Manpower has one again announced a temporary ban on hiring expats to include four more professions in the private sector.

The decision falls under the Sultanate’s Omanisation process, which was set to provide more employment opportunities for Omanis in both the public and private sector. Also, this initiative underscores the work of the new National Centre for Employment (NCE), which had only been established last March, which aims to replace expats with Omanis in various sectors.

Oman Extends Visa Ban on 4 Expat Professions — Credits: Wikimedia Commons

Four Expat Professions Included in New Hiring Ban in Oman

The temporary visa ban will apply to jobs in the sectors of IT, accounting and finance, sales and marketing, management and human resources, insurance, media, medical, airports and engineering, as shared in a report by the Times of Oman.

In a statement, the ministry said, “The period of the ban on permits to bring temporary expatriate manpower into private sector establishments for the professions specified in Ministerial Decision No. 73/2019, shall continue for a period of six months from August 5, 2019.”

It can be recalled that the Sultanate had extended the ban to include carpenters, metallurgy workers, blacksmiths, and brick kiln workers earlier in July.

Upon the creation of the NCE, the centre will open branches in various parts of Oman to suggest qualified Omani jobseekers for various positions before the Ministry of Manpower approves requests for labour permits to fill positions with foreign talents.

This only means that if a company files a request for an expat visa, the centre will first determine whether there are any qualified Omanis to fill the role.

This system is evident not only in Oman but also in other Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Although this will only be a temporary measure that will limit the opportunities presented to expats in the Sultanate, the roles which will be assigned to nationals will create a positive impact for the country’s economy as well as its people, since they are already looking for a sustainable workforce, where nationals are actively participating in direct proportion to the benefits that they receive from the national government.

For now, expats in the affected fields can set their sights on other opportunities available to them elsewhere because the Middle East, in general, is dealing with internal issues that affect their economic growth and performance – not to mention the growing turmoil in the region due to political differences held by Arab leaders.

ALSO READ: Number of Expat Health Workers in Oman Take Huge Hit in 2018

Programme Launched to Inform Public on ‘Omanised’ Professions

In line with this, the Ministry of Manpower (MoM) has launched a service through which citizens can enquire about Omanised professions in the sultanate, as shared in a report by Muscat Daily.

The service is part of the initial stage to introduce the new system of issuance of work licences.

Moreover, this service will enable employers and investors to know about the activities and professions that ban recruitment of expatriates. It will also help citizens check if a business is legal.

According to Asila bint Mohammed al Kalbany, director general of Information Technology at MoM, “This service will provide employers with the opportunity to learn about the details of ban on activities and professions imposed by the ministry. It will also help employers or investors avoid any losses that they could incur from setting up a prohibited activity or a business.”

Through this initiative, the government hopes to further encourage citizens to take part in the workforce, and ensure that they are well designated to do so. For the expats and investors, knowing which professions are only intended for Omanised professionals will enable them to decide which sector they can bring their talents to, or if there are better opportunities elsewhere that suit their career profile.

The Manpower Ministry has also taken part in the Government Performance Accelerators programme currently being undertaken by the Ministry of Civil Service.

As the sultanate is looking to make a shift from the traditional oil-based industry, for which all of the Middle Eastern countries have benefited from for a long time, labour and manpower allocation, as well as tax introductions will prove to be integral to sustaining Oman’s economic and social ventures in the long term.