Forum charts bold vision for Oman's labour market
Held as part of Labour Forum 2025, the event explored how Oman's work environment is evolving — and what must be done to make it future-ready. From social protections to career guidance and the rise of mental resilience in the workplace, the sessions reflected a bold vision to reshape how people live and work in Oman.
One of the headline sessions, 'Fostering an Enabling Work Environment and Attracting Talent", tackled some of the most pressing questions in the labour space. Experts discussed how stronger public-private partnerships, better occupational safety, and smarter social protection systems can empower Omanis to thrive in tomorrow's economy.
Another key panel, 'Social Dialogue and the Future of Labour Markets", focused on how inclusive conversations among governments, businesses and workers can help shape balanced, fair and resilient labour policies. Participants called for new models of engagement to ensure that all voices — from factory floors to boardrooms — have a role in shaping the future of work.
Running alongside the main forum, the 'Future Talents: Thought and Work' student exhibition continued to draw visitors. Featuring creative projects by vocational college students, the exhibition included a standout workshop on 'Psychological and Professional Resilience' — a timely reminder that soft skills are just as vital as technical ones in today's workplace. The exhibition remains open to the public until Thursday, August 7.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Muscat Daily
8 hours ago
- Muscat Daily
65% Omanis in private sector earn less than RO600
Muscat – Omani nationals employed in the government sector continue to earn significantly higher wages compared to their counterparts in the private sector, according to 2024 data from National Centre for Statistics and Information. Out of 740,877 Omanis insured in 2024, 392,011 work in the government and 348,866 are in the private sector. Despite this near-even split, a stark contrast emerges in wage distribution. The private sector has a heavy concentration of Omanis in the lowest wage brackets. A total of 138,632 private sector employees earn between RO325 and RO400 monthly, representing nearly 40% of all Omanis in the private sector. In contrast, 5,077 government employees fall within this bracket, which is 1.3% of all those employed in the government sector. The disparity persists across other low-income bands. A total of 47,713 private sector employees earn RO400-RO500, compared to 11,047 in government. In the RO500-RO600 bracket, 40,387 are in private jobs versus 30,090 in government. Combined, more than 65% Omanis in the private sector earn less than RO600, whereas less than 12% government employees fall into this category. At the higher end of the wage spectrum, the imbalance is reversed. In the RO2,000 to RO2,500 range, 4,987 are government compared to 7,797 private sector employees. Among those earning RO2,500 or more, 16,172 are in the private sector while 5,689 are in government. This suggests a narrowing gap at the very top but a broader divide across the lower and middle wage tiers. Gender disparities are also evident. Of the total 740,877 Omanis insured, 215,671 are women and 525,206 are men. Male employees dominate all income categories, especially the higher wage brackets. Sector-wise, Omanis in the private sector are spread across different fields. The construction sector employs the largest number of Omanis – 76,573 – followed by manufacturing (57,627), wholesale, retail trade and repair of vehicles (56,543), agriculture and fisheries (47,929), and transport and storage (47,428) making the top five sectors employing citizens. For expatriates, the construction sector is the largest employer (439,924), followed by wholesale, retail trade and repair of vehicles (277,247), those employed by households (272,542), manufacturing (183,134) and administrative and support services (134,275), making the top five sectors employing expatriate workers.
Observer
8 hours ago
- Observer
Ministry of Labour hosts Salalah's business leaders
SALALAH: The Ministry of Labour (MoL) hosted a meeting of Dhofar Governorate's business leaders at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah on Wednesday. The forum, held with the participation of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, focused on labour market challenges. Addressing the event, Dr Mahad bin Said Baowain, Minister of Labour, pointed to the current efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Labour to enhance the development of labour market tools. He highlighted the support extended to private sector institutions and the facilities available to establishments. He also referred to the Labour Law and the regulations governing the labour market, which aim to ensure stability and keep pace with the progress witnessed in the global market. Dr Baowain explained during the meeting — held as part of the activities of the Labour Forum 2025 — that the current circumstances call for accelerating the pace of work. This is due to the challenges and tremendous advancements taking place, which serve the interests of the markets and support human resources. He emphasised that human capital is the true driver of development and progress. In this context, he pointed to employment initiatives adopted by the Ministry of Labour in genuine partnership with the private sector. The official also stressed the importance of the role of the private sector in Dhofar Governorate, which is growing at a rapid pace, particularly in the tourism field. He noted the governorate's role in strengthening the labour sector and the efforts made by small and medium enterprises and their national workforces in the establishments and companies of the private sector. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of intensifying attention to entrepreneurial projects related to artificial intelligence and innovation, as well as supporting training programmes. The meeting witnessed a discussion of the challenges facing business owners, particularly in the small and medium enterprises sector; and ways to simplify procedures to benefit from the facilities available to them to establish new projects and mechanisms for their development. Omanisation in certain activities, as well as the means of developing the Omani labour market, were also discussed.
Muscat Daily
11 hours ago
- Muscat Daily
Labour ministry discusses private sector challenges in Dhofar
Salalah – The Ministry of Labour held a meeting on Wednesday at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah to discuss key challenges facing business owners in Dhofar governorate. Organised as part of Work Forum 2025, the meeting was attended by representatives from the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the private sector. Titled 'Strategic Dialogues and Shared Visions with the Private Sector for a Sustainable Labour Market', the session focused on improving labour market tools and reviewing facilities provided to private enterprises. The discussions also covered recent regulatory developments, including updates to the labour law aimed at enhancing market stability and aligning with global standards. H E Dr Mahad bin Saeed Ba'awin, Minister of Labour, said the current phase demands faster progress in addressing existing challenges and taking advantage of emerging opportunities. He stressed the importance of supporting national human resources through employment initiatives implemented in cooperation with the private sector. Dr Ba'awin underlined the growing contribution of Dhofar's private sector, particularly in tourism, and called for expanding training programmes and entrepreneurial support in areas such as artificial intelligence and innovation. Participants also reviewed mechanisms to streamline procedures for small and medium enterprise owners, how to access available support to launch new projects, and strategies for advancing Omanisation and improving the national labour market environment.
