
45,000 job opportunities for Omanis this year
MUSCAT: The operational plan for 2025 targets to provide 45,000 job opportunities, including 11,000 for training and qualification, 10,000 in government establishments and 24,000 in the private sector.
This was revealed by Dr Mahad bin Said Baowain, Minister of Labour, at the ministry's annual press conference held on Monday. He also noted that the ministry is focused on supporting work-related training and wage subsidies for small and medium enterprises.
The ministry reviewed its achievements for 2024 and its objectives for 2025, stressing that it is carrying on its efforts to upgrade the labour market and provide employment opportunities for Omanis.
Plan to provide 24,000 jobs in the private sector.
The ministry also reviewed three projects that employ artificial intelligence to improve smart management and provide funding for the pilot phases of these projects. The conference addressed the National Employment Programme which seeks to integrate education outcomes with labour market needs with a focus on developing new technologies to improve the system such as the Tawteen (nationalisation) and Khuta (steps) platforms.
Dr Mahad bin Said Baowain, Minister of Labour, at the ministry's annual press conference held on Monday.
The ministry underscored the role of technology in expediting the provision of job opportunities through digital tools that enhance the effectiveness of programme implementation. The minister said that reinforced qualitative job nationalisation initiatives will be carried out by employing talented Omanis in senior and middle-level positions and establishing specialised companies to support employment in vital sectors.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Observer
a day ago
- Observer
Omani firm eyes drone-based cargo deliveries before year-end
MUSCAT: In a breakthrough for aerial logistics via unmanned aircraft in the Sultanate, Esbaar – an Omani provider of artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems – is gearing up to launch heavy-duty drone-based cargo services for key sectors across the country. According to a senior project official, Esbaar aims to roll out the service – a first for Oman – before the end of this year. Esbaar, one of the first Omani companies to launch drone-based inspection and survey services in 2017, has since been developing cargo delivery capabilities through newly engineered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed to carry payloads to specific destinations in the Sultanate, said Hamadi Ben Ftima, Cargo Drones Project Manager. 'Our service offers a modern solution to logistics challenges, as our drones can operate at any time, above traffic and terrain, including in remote or time-critical areas. This will enable our customers to expand their operations, reduce non-productive time, cut their carbon footprint, and achieve their business objectives,' he noted. Speaking to the Observer, Ben Ftima said the initiative centers on deploying a fleet of heavy-duty drones capable of handling cargo ranging from as little as 500 grams up to 700 kilograms. 'We are initially targeting an operational area encompassing Haima, Qarn Alam, Adam, Nizwa, and Muscat. However, to be fully prepared, we will need to establish centralized hubs from which the drones will collect payloads for delivery to customer sites. The locations of these hubs and the flight paths will depend on customer profiles and specific requirements – matters currently under discussion,' he explained. Esbaar is targeting potential clients in the oil and gas, renewable energy, mining, agriculture and fisheries, healthcare, and emergency response sectors. The company also plans to serve the offshore sector, including oil rigs and platforms, Ben Ftima added. Currently, Esbaar operates a fleet of around 30 drones used primarily for inspection, surveying, and 3D modeling services. The company employs both Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. BVLOS enables drones to operate beyond the pilot's direct visual range, allowing for extended coverage and efficient performance in tasks such as long-range pipeline inspections and remote infrastructure surveys. VLOS, by contrast, requires the pilot to maintain visual contact with the drone throughout its flight. In preparation for the cargo service launch, Esbaar has been conducting at least eight hours of continuous BVLOS flights to build in-house expertise. The company also anticipates significant job creation for Omanis, who will be trained to operate drones, manage logistics hubs, and provide supporting services. Asked about the timeline for the service launch, Ben Ftima said it depends on several factors: signing contracts with customers, finalizing flight plans and operational protocols, and securing approval from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The goal, he emphasized, is to launch Oman's first drone cargo delivery service before the end of the year.


Observer
a day ago
- Observer
Integrated livestock farming and meat production project launched in Al Suwaiq
MUSCAT: Seeking to contribute to food security goals in North Al Batinah Governorate, Omani entrepreneur Hamood Al Mahrazi has launched an integrated livestock farm and meat production facility in the Wilayat of Al Suwaiq aimed at producing premium-quality meat from a mix of local and international livestock breeds. The venture, which employs advanced farming technologies, is supported by a farm with a capacity of 1,250 head of livestock annually. The facility blends Omani traditions with global expertise to ensure high standards in animal care, hygiene, and meat quality. 'Our project combines Omani authenticity with global expertise,' said Hamood al-Mahrazi, owner of the initiative. 'We rely on the latest technologies to ensure meat quality and safety, contributing to the sustainability of Oman's agricultural sector.' The project is expected to help meet growing domestic demand and reduce reliance on meat imports, aligning with national goals under Oman Vision 2040. 'The expected production capacity will reach 1,250 head annually,' Al-Mahrazi added. 'This reflects our commitment to fulfilling local demand and boosting the supply of high-quality meat.' The farm incorporates modern technologies across all stages of the process, including advanced feeding systems, specialised veterinary care, and state-of-the-art meat processing facilities. The project is part of an ongoing drive by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources aimed at fostering entrepreneurial opportunities for Omanis in the fields of crop and livestock farming and meat production, among other related sectors, across the Sultanate of Oman.


Observer
2 days ago
- Observer
Rebuild aid consensus
In 2015, the United Kingdom's then-prime minister, David Cameron, stood before the United Nations General Assembly and challenged other donor countries to follow the UK's lead and back the newly-minted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for eradicating poverty with their aid money. 'We haven't just achieved the UN's 0.7 per cent [aid-to-GNI spending] target, we've enshrined it in law,' he declared. That was then. As heir to an extraordinary bipartisan consensus forged under the post-1997 Labour government, Cameron's Conservative government had established Britain as the most generous aid donor in the G7, and one of just four countries to meet the 0.7 per cent aid target. Now, a Labour government has torn up the remnants of that consensus, joined a global attack on aid, and set a course that will leave the UK among the world's least generous countries. The fact that a UK government led by the Labour Party, with its long tradition of internationalism and solidarity, has all but abandoned its leadership role on an issue encoded in its DNA illustrates the political forces shaping a new world order, notably US President Donald Trump's view of international cooperation as a zero-sum game played by losers. But it also challenges development advocates in the UK to focus on strategies aimed at minimising harm and rebuilding the case for aid. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the decision to cut foreign aid and channel the savings to an expanded defence budget ahead of a meeting with Trump. The aid budget is set to fall from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent of Gross Nation Income – the lowest level since the late 1990s. After removing the roughly one-quarter of the official development assistance spent on refugees in the UK, Britain will slip from ninth to 22nd in a ranking of countries' Overseas Development Assistance as a share of GNI. While there has been opposition to the aid cuts, a new consensus has taken root. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch applauded the decision to convert ODA into defence spending. The far-right Reform UK party's election manifesto called for the aid budget to be halved. When Jenny Chapman, Britain's development minister, delivered ODA's death warrant, she told a parliamentary committee in May that 'the days of viewing the UK government as a global charity are over.' Some two-thirds of Britons, including most Labour supporters, support increased defence spending at the expense of overseas aid. The UK is hardly alone. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which accounted for more than 40 per cent of all humanitarian aid in 2024, has been dismantled. In Germany, the world's second-largest donor, Chancellor Friedrich Merz's new government will reduce an already-diminished aid budget. France is set to slash ODA by 40 per cent, while the recently collapsed right-wing government in the Netherlands, a longstanding member of the 0.7 per cent club, has decreased aid spending by more than two-thirds. The human toll of the cuts is already starting to emerge. The demolition of USAID has left acutely malnourished children without food, HIV/AIDS patients without antiretroviral drugs, and clinics unable to treat deadly diseases like childhood malaria. According to a recent study, Trump's suspension of aid could result in 14 million additional deaths, including 4.5 million children under five, by 2030. Cuts by the UK and other donors will inevitably add to these human costs. An already chronically under-financed humanitarian aid system now confronting famine threats and food emergencies from Sudan to Gaza and the Sahel has been pushed to the brink of collapse: less than 10 per cent of the 2025 UN appeal is funded. The political currents fuelling the attack on aid vary across countries. In the US, nihilistic anti-multilateralism has been a driving force. In Europe, fiscal pressures have interacted with right-wing populist narratives linking aid to migration, pressure on public services, waste, and corruption. Starmer now cites Russian security threats to justify deeper cuts. So, what can be done to rebuild an aid consensus? The first priority is to minimise harm. Maintaining the UK's £1.9 billion ($2.6 billion) commitment to the World Bank's International Development Association is critical because every dollar contributed can leverage $3-4 of financial support for the poorest countries. The UK could also make the most of a shrinking aid budget by channelling more humanitarian aid through local actors, rather than bureaucratic UN agencies. Still, tough choices must be made. There is a strong argument to protect spending on life-saving programmes, such as child nutrition, vaccinations, and HIV/AIDS, and for minimising cuts in areas where the UK is a global frontrunner, like girls' education and social protection. Even with a diminished aid budget, the UK could exercise greater leadership. With debt-service costs now crowding out spending on essential services in many low-income countries, Starmer's government could demand comprehensive debt relief at this month's UN International Conference on Financing for Development. Ultimately though, the case for aid must be fought and won in a public square increasingly dominated by right-wing populists. Political leaders in the UK and across the West need to communicate the hard truth that global challenges like climate change, war, and poverty require international cooperation. And they need to tap into the deep reservoirs of generosity, solidarity, and moral concern that define public sentiment even in the midst of our troubled times. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2025. Kevin Watkins The author, a former CEO of Save the Children UK, is a visiting professor at the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa at the London School of Economics.