Minister of Labour Reviews Employment and Training Achievements before Shura Council

Shura Council Hosts Minister of Labour to Review Workforce Development Plans

Muscat: The Shura Council today hosted Dr. Mahad bin Said Baowain, Minister of Labour, during the Council’s seventh session of the third ordinary sitting of its tenth term (2023–2027). The discussions focused on five key themes: the Ministry’s policies, plans and programmes under the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2021–2025); labour laws governing the public and private sectors; employment and job creation; training and qualification; and digital transformation and electronic integration.

During the session, the Minister of Labour reviewed the Ministry’s strategic directions and highlighted its achievements through integrated programmes aimed at developing the labour market, expanding employment opportunities, and aligning workforce supply with market demand.

The Minister stated that the Ministry has prioritized the formulation of policies and executive programmes under the Tenth Five-Year Plan, implementing a wide range of operational initiatives, job replacement schemes, and nationalization programmes. These efforts have contributed to creating quality employment opportunities and stabilizing the national workforce across various economic sectors.

He added that the Ministry continues to update labour legislation and regulatory frameworks. In the area of training and qualification, the Ministry has focused on empowering national competencies through training-linked employment and replacement programmes, launching specialized initiatives to prepare national leaders, and linking career progression to continuous training in order to enhance productivity and professional performance.

Regarding digital transformation, the Minister explained that the Ministry has established a national workforce database electronically integrated with several government entities. This database serves as an accurate tool for labour market planning, forecasting workforce needs, and ensuring coordinated efforts among relevant institutions.

He noted that the Ministry has implemented 16 strategic programmes under the Tenth Five-Year Development Plan, aligned with three national priorities: Education, Learning, Research and National Capabilities; Labour Market and Employment; and Governance of the State’s Administrative Apparatus, Resources and Projects.

The Minister pointed out that financial allocations for private-sector employment support programmes have doubled from RO 50 million to RO 100 million. Under the national wage support initiative, 15,000 employment opportunities have been allocated for new entrants to the labour market, with government support starting from RO 200 per month for two years, while employers cover the remaining agreed wage. The employment contract must extend for at least the duration of the government support period.

He further stated that the Training-Linked Replacement Project generated 50,925 training opportunities linked to employment between 2021 and October 2025, with 133 approved training programmes. During the same period, 25,143 labour complaints were resolved through the Labour Negotiations and Dispute Settlement Department, while 10,197 cases were settled through initiatives aimed at enhancing the labour judicial system.

Since its launch in 2024, the “Tawteen” platform has registered 3,535 establishments, advertised 2,089 job listings offering 10,122 vacancies, and attracted more than 173,000 registered users competing for these opportunities by February 2025.

The Minister added that 67 entities have benefited from the “Marsad” labour market data analytics platform, with 108 users registered by the end of October 2025. Registrations on the “Khuta” platform reached 40,474, with more than 70,000 visitors by late October 2025. The platform offered 852 academic programmes, 115 professional certifications, and 100 training courses, benefiting 2,465 young participants.

He noted that 8,273 individuals benefited from employment initiatives such as “Sahim”, “2000 Contracts”, and “One Million Hours”, while 95 public and private entities also benefited. Compliance with the “Ejada” performance measurement system in government units improved by 87 percent in the second half of 2025 compared to the first half of the year.

The Minister reported that more than 200,000 job opportunities were created for job seekers between 2021 and October 2025, including 68,033 positions in the public sector, 81,114 positions in the private sector, and 50,925 training-linked placements across both sectors. Job rotation opportunities in the private sector reached 161,938 during the same period.

He added that approximately 1,380 private establishments benefited from the Omani Wage Support Initiative between 2021 and 2025, resulting in the employment of 4,610 Omani workers. By the end of October 2025, the number of Omani human resources and personnel managers in the private sector reached 4,194.

The Minister also noted that 5,868 job replacement opportunities were provided in the government sector from 2021 to 2025.

He stated that around 27,229 individuals benefited from the Job Security System between 2020 and 2024, of whom 10,387 have since re-entered the labour market. Additionally, the Ministry announced more than 200,000 job vacancies from 2021 through October 2025, particularly targeting individuals whose employment had ended.

The session was attended by Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali, Chairman of the Shura Council, along with the Council members and its Secretary-General.