Oman’s Ministry of Manpower is considering extending the expatriate Visa ban

Oman's manpower top officials said visa ban that is currently in place to limit expatriate jobs across 87 professions can be extended in the future, depending upon the requirements of the local job market, reported TimesofOman.

Pesent visa ban is expected to expire at the end of January 2019.

Director General of Planning and Development at the Manpower Ministry, Salim bin Nasser Al Hadhrami said, visa ban could be extended further if necessary, according TimesofOman.

"The Ministry of Manpower issued a ministerial decree No. (38/2018) to briefly suspend the authorisation of a non-Omani work compel in a few professions, which incorporated an extension, such as information systems, accounting and finance, sales and marketing, administration, human resources and insurance,” he said.

The half year ban on hiring expat workers over 87 work jobs was forced on January 28, 2018, to prepare for local people inside the workforce. 

The hiring freeze became effective after the issuance of ministerial decree 2018/38, which was issued by Minister of Manpower Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bakri. It was then reached out in July for an additional a 6 months.

The choice does not have any significant bearing to establishments registered with the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development and guaranteed with the Public Authority for Social Insurance (PASI). 

"The essential work has been done inside the undertakings of this ministry and by raising the subject with the skillful specialists to take the necessary steps,” added Al Hadhrami.

Shortly after the enforcement of the visa ban, the Ministry of Manpower set off on a campaign to provide 25,000 jobs to young Omanis, which began in February 2018. That objective was achieved before the end of the initial six-month freeze.

Job opportunities

"The Ministry of Manpower pursues a system for the selection of employment searchers by offering empty openings for work in private area foundations as a team with the Manpower Registry in the every day papers," clarified Al Hadhrami. "The enrolled activity searchers are qualified for apply for these callings." 

"The names of the hopefuls are distributed in day by day papers," he included. 

"The decision lies with private division foundations to pick the most reasonable competitor from the aggregate candidates, and the activity searcher has the privilege to can't or acknowledge the chance and furthermore whether to go to the meeting or not." 

More than 40,000 Omanis have been given jobs in private sector companies as part of the government’s Omanisiation policy, but Ahmed Al Hooti, a director at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said skilled Omanis needed to work alongside expats for the moment.

He told the Times of Oman, “I believe there is a problem, which has put more pressure on the Omani economy. With the hiring freeze in these sectors, it’s not only affecting the big businesses but also the small and medium enterprises. As long as there are constrictions, there are impacts on the economy. There should be no constraints in all sectors in an open economy.”

Al Hooti added that competition should exist for a better economy. “There should be no hiring freeze for jobs in Oman, as the competition and open market are needed to build up the economy,” he explained.

Junda Al Balushi, a young jobseeker in the country, said Omanis needed to be given first priority when it came to hiring.

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