Muscat: The number of jobseekers in Musandam Governorate declined by 9.7% by the end of September 2026, reaching 1,115 compared with 1,235 in 2025. The decline reflects improving employment indicators in the governorate, alongside ongoing efforts to develop national talent and align workforce skills with labour market requirements.
Hussein bin Khamis bin Hamdan Al Naqbi, Director of the Labour Department in Musandam Governorate, said employment initiatives and coordination with the public and private sectors had resulted in the employment of 741 jobseekers from the governorate between the beginning of 2026 and the end of September.
He noted that the number of jobseekers had fallen to 1,115, compared with 1,235 in 2025 and 1,770 in 2024, representing decreases of 9.7% and 37%, respectively. These figures reflect improvements in employment indicators and the efforts undertaken to provide job opportunities for Omani citizens.
Al Naqbi affirmed that efforts are continuing to match jobseekers with available employment opportunities according to their qualifications, specialisations and the requirements of employers.
He added that the Department relies on the electronic nomination system available through the Ministry of Labour’s platforms to match jobseekers’ skills with the requirements of advertised vacancies.
Regarding training and qualification programmes, he said the Department had implemented a range of initiatives aimed at enhancing the readiness of jobseekers and improving their opportunities to enter the labour market.
Among the most prominent is the employment-linked training initiative, which has benefited approximately 50 jobseekers in technical, technological and electrical fields. A further 40 jobseekers benefited from the on-the-job training initiative, while the part-time employment initiative reached 573 male and female jobseekers.
He explained that these programmes aim to equip participants with practical skills and professional experience aligned with employers’ needs, enhancing their ability to secure and retain employment.
He noted that vocational training contributes to developing the capabilities and productivity of the national workforce, supporting job stability and creating broader opportunities for career advancement in the private sector.
Regarding efforts to strengthen Omanisation, Al Naqbi explained that the Department monitors private-sector establishments’ compliance with national workforce employment targets by reviewing expatriate labour permits and implementing decisions reserving certain occupations for Omani citizens.
The Department also provides facilities and support to establishments that comply with Omanisation programmes, contributing to expanding employment opportunities for citizens across various economic activities.
He highlighted tourism and hospitality, logistics and maritime transport associated with port operations, fisheries, service activities and major investment projects as the principal sectors contributing to current and future employment opportunities, given Musandam’s tourism and maritime assets and diverse investment potential.
The Director of the Labour Department in Musandam Governorate explained that the Department is focusing on intensifying monitoring and field inspections to ensure establishments comply with the provisions of the Labour Law, particularly those relating to employment conditions and safe working environments.
These efforts also aim to improve working conditions and monitor the implementation of regulatory decisions that respond to economic development requirements and the expansion of various activities across the governorate.
Al Naqbi said coordination with private-sector institutions is an important means of identifying labour market requirements for qualified national talent.
The Department holds regular meetings with company representatives to discuss expansion plans, identify actual vacancies and announce available positions according to approved timelines, ensuring transparency and equal opportunities for jobseekers.
He affirmed that the Department works in continuous coordination with the Office of the Governor of Musandam and relevant government entities to link investment and development projects with employment opportunities for the governorate’s residents.
This includes incorporating Omanisation and employment targets into the terms and specifications of new projects, enabling qualified Omani citizens to benefit from opportunities generated by economic expansion.
He noted that the expansion of tourism, service and productive projects creates opportunities for sustainable, specialised employment for citizens, while also strengthening the participation of local small and medium enterprises in supply chains and supporting contracts associated with these projects.
This, in turn, contributes to broadening the economic base and increasing local added value.
Looking ahead, Al Naqbi explained that the plans of the Ministry of Labour and the Labour Department in Musandam Governorate aim to build on the results achieved and continue advancing the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
These plans include expanding targeted Omanisation programmes, improving working conditions, strengthening partnerships with the private sector and developing training and qualification programmes aligned with the needs of economic sectors, ensuring sustainable employment levels and expanding job opportunities for qualified national talent in the governorate.
For her part, Fatima bint Ali Al Shehhi, Supervisor of the Employment and Labour Market Programme at the Office of the Governor of Musandam, said the Governor’s Office places particular importance on employment and the provision of job opportunities for the governorate’s residents.
She explained that a dedicated employment and labour market programme has been established within the Governor’s Office in partnership with relevant authorities and private-sector institutions, contributing to the creation of diverse employment opportunities that match jobseekers’ qualifications and specialisations with labour market requirements.
She added that these efforts fall within the responsibilities assigned to governorates under the System of Governorates promulgated by Royal Decree No. 36/2022, which emphasises the importance of developing and investing in economic resources to achieve sustainable development and create employment opportunities for citizens.
The legislation also provides for monitoring economic activities and supporting their growth in ways that contribute to local development.
Al Shehhi explained that Musandam Governorate is working to strengthen coordination and integration among relevant entities to monitor employment opportunities associated with existing and future development and investment projects.
These efforts include encouraging private-sector establishments to recruit qualified Omani citizens and benefit from their capabilities, thereby expanding employment opportunities and maximising the contribution of economic and investment activity to the creation of sustainable jobs for the governorate’s residents.
She said the governorate’s plans for the next phase include expanding the implementation of employment-linked training programmes in cooperation with private-sector companies and institutions.
These programmes aim to qualify jobseekers and equip them with practical and professional skills that meet employers’ requirements, enhancing their readiness to enter the labour market and ensuring that training and qualification outcomes are connected to actual employment opportunities.
She noted that the governorate, in cooperation with its partners, is seeking to develop coordination and follow-up mechanisms by identifying the workforce requirements of private-sector establishments, determining the specialisations and skills needed, and matching them with jobseekers’ qualifications and appropriate training programmes.
This approach will enable greater utilisation of employment opportunities generated by the governorate’s various economic sectors.
Al Shehhi affirmed that these efforts reflect Musandam Governorate’s commitment to establishing effective and sustainable partnerships with the private sector, based on the integration of roles and responsibilities among the relevant entities and the transformation of economic and investment opportunities into actual jobs.
She stressed that this approach supports Omanisation efforts and the development of national talent, while contributing to the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 to build a productive and competitive labour market capable of absorbing national talent and strengthening its participation in economic and social development.