Forum examines path from assistance to employment

SALALAH: Officials and labour specialists meeting in Salalah on Monday examined how Oman could use social protection to help people move from direct assistance towards sustainable participation in formal employment.
The discussions opened the two-day Work Horizons Forum, held under the theme “Towards a Safe and Sustainable Labour Market” at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah.
The event forms part of Labour Forum 2026, which runs from July 26 to August 13.
The first session examined international standards for comprehensive social protection and the ability of protection systems to respond to economic shocks and crises.
A presentation by Oman’s Social Protection Fund outlined the country’s transition towards a system intended to be more inclusive, financially sustainable and increasingly focused on economic empowerment.
The second session addressed the transition from social assistance to economic empowerment and sustainable integration into the formal labour market.
The Ministry of Economy discussed smart targeting and the integration of social and economic databases to improve the delivery of support.
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia examined the transition from social assistance to social insurance, while the Ministry of Social Development addressed the role of social policy in supporting family stability.
The Arab Labour Organization considered how new forms of work are affecting Arab labour standards and conventional employment arrangements.
Tuesday’s sessions will turn to the governance and financing of social protection systems, including the challenge of expanding coverage while maintaining long-term financial sustainability.
The programme will cover insurance funding, protection against workplace injuries and occupational diseases, maternity insurance and flexible working policies.
A final session will examine the use of evidence and data in social protection policy, including proposals for a unified GCC statistical framework and a Gulf social protection observatory.
Participants will also discuss methods for measuring coverage under Sustainable Development Goal indicator 1.3.1 and the use of artificial intelligence and predictive analysis to anticipate labour-market and social changes.
The chairs of the four sessions are due to present the forum’s main outcomes and recommendations at midday on Tuesday.