Tuesday 15 / April / 2025
Muscat: The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) has reported that over 1,000 Omanis secured employment in the transport and logistics sector during the first quarter of 2025. This figure is part of broader initiatives launched by the Ministry throughout 2025 to enhance job opportunities for Omani nationals within the transport, logistics, and information technology sectors. In the first three months of the year, 1,450 Omanis found jobs in various roles within transport and logistics, while an additional 236 Omanis were employed in diverse fields within the information technology sector. The Ministry also noted a significant decrease in the proportion of expatriate workers in both of these sectors.
The Ministry has set targets to employ approximately 4,950 Omanis in the transport and logistics sector and around 430 Omanis in the information technology sector by the end of 2025. Notably, the targeted Omanisation rate of 21 percent for transport and logistics activities was achieved in the first quarter. The Ministry aims to reach a 10 percent Omanisation rate in technical, specialised, and leadership positions within this sector by the end of the year. For the IT sector, the Ministry aims for a 63 percent Omanisation rate overall and a 41 percent representation of Omani employees in technical, specialised, and leadership roles. These goals are being pursued through the implementation of various policies, regulations, and initiatives designed to govern the labour market and employment in both sectors.
The Ministry has introduced several policies and regulations specifically for the IT sector, including the Omanisation of certain specialised IT professions. An initiative to finance and support the wages of Omanis in specialised IT roles and projects has also been launched, along with the setting of mandatory Omanisation rates for government projects and procurement. Furthermore, the Ministry has facilitated freelance work opportunities for Omanis, providing training and qualifications for income-generating freelance work in IT. On-the-job training opportunities linked to investment projects in the IT sector have also been provided. The National Initiative for Digital Skills Development (Makeen) continues to offer training and qualification programmes to enhance the competitiveness of Omanis in the technical job market, with 990 trainees benefiting in the first quarter of 2025.
In the transport and logistics sector, the Ministry has also issued several policies and regulations, including mandatory Omanisation rates for consultants working with the Ministry and a 20 percent Omanisation target for supervisory positions in last-mile delivery. Targeted Omanisation rates for executive and leadership roles in this sector have also been established. Initiatives for training linked to employment in transport and logistics have been launched, and monitoring and inspection campaigns are being conducted in coordination with the Ministry of Labour to address irregular workers. Collaboration with the Ministry of Labour also focuses on regulating the issuance of permits for maritime sector jobs, requiring approval from the Labour Market Regulatory Committee for key positions. Approximately 210 Omanis are currently enrolled in employment-linked training programmes within the transport and logistics sector, and a specific training programme was conducted for 52 Omani truck drivers in cooperation with the Oman Logistics Association. Initiatives such as the Omani Wage Support Initiative and the freelance work initiative are also supporting Omani youth entering the IT job market. A contract with Awaser Company has created 58 freelance job opportunities, and an on-the-job training initiative has trained 50 Omanis for semiconductor projects.
