2 days ago
Future-proofing Oman: Skills for the AI, climate economy
In lectures on history and culture at the German University of Technology in Oman, I often return to one enduring lesson: societies rise or fall not simply by their wealth or ideology, but by how well they adapt to change.
Today, the twin forces of artificial intelligence (AI) and the climate transition are transforming the global economy at an unprecedented pace. For Oman, this moment is both a challenge and an opportunity to reimagine how we prepare our young people for a future defined not by certainty, but by transformation.
The headlines tell a clear story. Globally, millions of jobs are being disrupted or redefined by automation, machine learning, and decarbonisation efforts. At the same time, new employment frontiers are emerging in renewable energy, green infrastructure, logistics, creative industries, AI deployment, and cybersecurity. But while countries invest in reskilling and education-to-employment pathways, Oman continues to struggle with a growing number of young people leaving school or graduating into a job market ill-equipped to absorb them.
The challenge is not one of ambition. Oman Vision 2040 boldly outlines a shift toward a knowledge-based, diversified, and sustainable economy. The green hydrogen strategy, digital economy initiatives, and smart logistics corridors are all commendable. Yet without a workforce ready to power these sectors, our ambitions may stall on the tarmac. Higher education alone cannot absorb or employ the thousands of students entering the job market each year — let alone those who drop out. The solution lies in recalibrating our national skills system to serve both high school and university graduates through flexible, stackable, and practical learning tracks.
Crucially, the original promise of AI must be remembered: AI was not built to replace humans, but to expand our cognitive capacities to solve humanity's greatest challenges. At its inception, the AI movement emerged in tandem with climate concerns — from modelling atmospheric behaviour to optimising energy systems and agricultural yields. AI's power lies in its ability to process complex systems, visualise future scenarios, and propose efficient pathways forward. In this sense, AI is not just a disruptor of labour markets but a tool to elevate human capacity to act decisively in a warming world. We need to train a generation not just to use AI but to guide it ethically and strategically toward the public good.
This requires a national push for vocational education, apprenticeships, and certification schemes. Accounting, auditing, engineering technicians, AI application developers, solar panel installers, and logistics specialists — all are critical professions for which we can provide credible vocational and professional training. These pathways should not be viewed as inferior to academic degrees but as complementary tracks that are modular, mobile and recognised across industries.
More importantly, we must institutionalise a system of multi-track mobility. A student should be able to shift from a vocational course into a university programme and vice versa. A young person in Sur who starts with a solar technician certificate should later be able to join a renewable energy engineering programme in Muscat, or start a green enterprise of their own. This fluidity is what will allow Oman to truly democratise opportunity.
Countries like Germany and Singapore offer valuable lessons. Germany's dual vocational system integrates in-company training with classroom education, producing highly employable graduates. Singapore's SkillsFuture initiative offers all citizens credits and pathways to reskill at any stage of life.
Moreover, any skills transformation must be tied to employer demand. Public-private partnerships must co-design curricula, co-finance apprenticeships, and co-own success. Incentives for firms to host trainees, offer mentorships, or co-certify professional programmes will be essential. And beyond young job seekers, mid-career Omanis also deserve access to reskilling opportunities as the economy evolves.
Finally, we must do more than reform education — we must shift mindsets. Social prestige, parental pressure, and outdated ideas about success still funnel too many into narrow academic channels. A cultural campaign that celebrates technical mastery, creative skills, and entrepreneurial spirit is needed to expand the definition of achievement.
The future will not wait. Every year that passes without bold reform deepens the risk of alienation and structural unemployment. But the solution is within reach. Oman has the vision. What we now need is a robust, flexible, and future-oriented skills ecosystem that places people — not just policies — at the heart of development.
