Oman To Replace 480 Public Sector Expat Workers In Civil Services

Around 480 expatriate employees in middle and senior level positions in the Ministry of Civil Services are to be replaced by Omanis in a bid to boost employment among nationals, local media reported.

The nationalisation falls under a five-year ‘replacement budget plan’ by the Ministry of Civil Services, which aims to replace 594 expats in a period of five years. The plan, which began in 2011, is expected to increase the number of Omanis in civil services by 2015.

Approximately 114 expatriate employees in civil services have been replaced and the remaining 480 positions will gradually be given to Omanis by 2015, said an official in the Omanisation department of the Ministry of Civil Service.

“We have to achieve 95 per cent Omanisation in civil services as per Vision 2020,” the official was quoted as saying in Times of Oman.

The spokesperson added that there is a replacement budget in all government units and ministries under the civil services law, except in the ministries of education and health.

These ministries have individual nationalisation plans, which do not fall under the civil services ministry plan, he said.

According to Ministry of Civil Services data, departments such as the Public Authority for Radio and Television, Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources and Public Authority of Civil Aviation (PACA) hired only Omanis between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2013.

Almost 16 ministries and government offices have achieved 99 per cent Omanisation while some units have already achieved full Omanisation, the official said.

Oman’s government officials recently announced that more than 100,000 expat workers in the private sector will be replaced with Omanis to balance the employment market, according to the official news agency ONA.

Minister of Manpower, Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bakri, confirmed that the government is looking to reduce the Sultanate’s expat work force to 33 per cent from its current level of 39 per cent.

But the Sultanate’s officials have not set a time frame for the replacement of expats in the private sector, local media reported.