Asyad Shipping's training initiative strengthens Oman's status in global trade
As part of Oman Vision 2040, Asyad Shipping has trained 230 Omani nationals to work on commercial vessels under a first-of-its-kind initiative launched in 2023. The programme is a strategic step forward towards bolstering Oman's maritime strength, accelerating Omanisation, and advancing the status of Oman on global trade routes.
Out of the total trainees, 30 were posted as deck officers and engineers and 200 as assistant engineers and navigational support staff. Omanis are being systematically trained for such work at sea for the very first time, hitherto held by expatriates—reflecting a shift towards specialist national recruitment and long-term sustainable workforce.
The work was highlighted at the Omani Seafarers Day event by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology as a national seafaring development success. Offered by intensive study in conjunction with hands-on practice on Asyad's ships, training gave participants the technical and operational skills they needed. The majority were successful in overcoming initial challenges in acclimating to ship life, assisted by other Omanis on the ship, which provided high esprit de corps and perseverance.
Kamila al Wahaibi, the responsible official for Omani sailors at Asyad Shipping, said: "Oman Vision 2040 invites us to cultivate a skilled and competitive national talent pool. This effort not only prepares Omanis with essential maritime skills but also secures the future of our national shipping fleet by investing in domestic talent."
In addition to being a national workforce initiative, the programme brings Oman into the main fold of global maritime trade. As global shipping lanes become more strategically valuable, Oman's location—at the crossroads of East-West trade—makes them an essential hub for logistics. Preparing Omanis to crew and manage commercial vessels directly addresses the nation's capacity to facilitate and grow as part of global networks in commerce.
The initiative, led under the guidance of Asyad's leadership, is a poster child of public-private partnership, which reflects the pillars of Vision 2040's economic diversification, private sector empowerment, and human capital development.
By opening new opportunities to the sea profession, Asyad is not only revamping Oman's transport and logistics sector but also playing its part in cementing the Sultanate of Oman's place in the global economy as an educated, connected, and competitive trade nation.
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