Comprehensive national employment plan devised to implement Royal directives

MUSCAT: The Ministry of Labour has worked on preparing a comprehensive national plan for employment and skills development. This plan is based on an effective strategic partnership between the government sector, government-owned companies and private sector establishments, to implement the Royal directives aimed at accelerating the pace of employment and providing 60,000 job opportunities for citizens during 2026.
The ministry clarified that the preparation of this plan is based on a precise analysis of labour market needs, linking employment opportunities to high-value-added sectors, and enhancing alignment between the outputs of education and training and the needs of the national economy. This contributes to raising the efficiency of the national workforce and enhancing its competitiveness. The targeted job opportunities are distributed as follows:
In the government sector, 10,000 jobs will be provided in the government sector (civil, military and security). This aims to enhance the efficiency of the state's administrative apparatus, improve the quality of public services, and focus on vital sectors with developmental and service priority.
As for government support pathways, 17,000 opportunities will be provided within government support pathways. These include wage support programmes, training coupled with employment and on-the-job training programmes. These pathways aim to enable job-seekers to acquire the required practical and professional skills, enhance their employability and ensure their sustainable integration into the labour market.

In the private sector, as many as 33,000 job opportunities will be provided in the private sector, as the main driver of employment and economic growth. This will be achieved through effective partnerships with private sector institutions, under the direct supervision and follow-up of employment governance committees. These opportunities span strategic economic sectors, including industry, oil and gas, transport and logistics, tourism, the banking sector, health, education, real estate development, information technology, communications, food security, public services, financial services, mining, retail, construction, alongside other sectors supporting economic diversification.
Dr Mahad bin Said Baowain, Minister of Labour, affirmed that the Royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik embody His Majesty's insightful vision for building a balanced economy led by the qualified Omani individual.
He said: 'This national employment plan is not limited to providing numbers and job opportunities only. Rather, it is based on building quality and sustainable jobs linked to training and qualification, and aligned with the requirements of the current and future labour market. This enhances the competitiveness of the national workforce and prepares it for the opportunities arising from economic and technological transformations.'
He added that the ministry was keen to implement this plan according to clear performance indicators, precise governance mechanisms and periodic follow-up. This ensures regular and transparent measurement of achieved targets and addresses any challenges that may arise during implementation stages, thereby achieving efficiency in performance and maximising developmental impact.
He affirmed that the integration between employment policies and education and training policies represents a fundamental pillar of this plan. He pointed out that the ministry is working to enhance partnerships with education and training institutions and the private sector to ensure that skills are aligned with market needs and to achieve career stability for citizens.
He called for positive interaction with this national initiative, stressing that employment is a shared national responsibility and that sustainable development is only achieved through the integration of efforts and the unification of visions among the various parties of the economic ecosystem. — ONA