OQ Welcomes 130 Graduates in 2026 Batch of Skills Development Program

OQ Graduate Program to Provide 600 Jobs in Energy Sector

Muscat: OQ Group welcomed 130 graduates as part of the 2026 batch of the OQ Graduates Skills Development Program, implemented in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Labor, within a broader plan to provide 600 job opportunities aimed at building national competencies in the energy sector.

This took place during a ceremony held at the Oman Energy Institute, under the patronage of His Excellency Saeed bin Abdullah Al Balushi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor for Human Resources Development.

The initiative represents one of the direct outcomes of the strategic agreement signed between OQ and the Ministry of Labor in October 2025, and embodies a pioneering model of public-private partnership in supporting sustainable employment and developing national capabilities in specializations aligned with the group’s operational needs and future growth plans.

The agreement translates national workforce priorities into structured professional development pathways, reflecting a shared commitment to building an integrated national system that links education outputs with labor market requirements and long-term career development.

The OQ Graduates Skills Development Program is one of the group’s flagship national initiatives and a key pillar of its long-term strategy to invest in human capital. Designed as an integrated two-year career pathway, the program combines structured practical training, systematic learning, leadership engagement, dialogue sessions, and hands-on field experience.

Through participation in real projects and exposure to OQ’s various operations, graduates gain a deeper understanding of the group’s business model, making the program one of OQ’s most prominent on-the-job training initiatives, implemented in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

The program contributes to developing leadership and professional competencies across engineering, operational and institutional fields, and reinforces OQ’s national role in preparing young Omani talents to meet the evolving demands of the energy sector.

His Excellency the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor for Human Resources Development affirmed that the Ministry places great emphasis on qualification and training to empower Omani youth to meet the rapidly changing skill requirements of the labor market, through its various plans and programs in cooperation with government entities and private-sector companies.

He praised OQ Group’s efforts in developing the capabilities of university and diploma graduates and absorbing job seekers across its various sectors, highlighting the Graduate Skills Development Program, which aims to employ 600 male and female graduates.

For his part, Engineer Ali bin Mohammed Al Lawati, Chief Human Resources and Technology Officer at OQ, said that the Graduate Skills Development Program represents a strategic platform through which the group advances national capacity-building on a wide scale.

He noted that preparing Omani professionals in accordance with international standards is a key factor in enhancing the competitiveness of the energy sector and strengthening the resilience of the national economy. Through its partnership with the Ministry of Labor, the program aligns with national workforce priorities and evolving market needs, ensuring that participants acquire operational experience and professional maturity amid rapid global energy transformations.

It is noteworthy that OQ trained and qualified 3,771 trainees between 2021 and mid-2025, while the number of graduates employed through training-linked employment programs, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, reached 1,817 between 2011 and last year, across engineering, technical and commercial disciplines.

OQ’s Omanization rate currently stands at 87 percent, with the group requiring its contracting companies to comply with the Omanization rates approved by the Ministry of Labor as part of tender and supply conditions, supporting job localization and sustainable employment opportunities for Omani youth.

The induction of the 2026 batch reflects OQ’s continued commitment to national development priorities and to empowering youth to contribute effectively to the sustainability and growth of the energy sector, thereby supporting long-term value creation for the Sultanate of Oman.