Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology Launches Initiatives to Promote Omanisation in 2025
Around 1,450 Omanis were employed in the transport and logistics sector during the first quarter of 2025, with a target of employing 4,950 Omanis by the end of the year. Additionally, approximately 236 Omanis were employed in the information technology sector during the same period, with a target of employing 430 Omanis by year-end.
The Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology has launched several initiatives in 2025 to enhance employment opportunities in the transport and logistics sector as well as the information technology sector. The first quarter of the year witnessed the employment of 1,450 Omanis in various roles within the transport and logistics sector, and 236 Omanis in different positions in the information technology sector. A significant decrease was also observed in the number of expatriate workers in both sectors.
The ministry aims to increase the number of Omanis employed in the transport and logistics sector to around 4,950 by the end of 2025. In the information technology sector, the target is to employ 430 Omanis by the end of the same period.
2025 Targets
During the first quarter of 2025, the ministry achieved its Omanisation target of 21% in transport and logistics activities. It also aims to reach 10% Omanisation in technical, specialized, and leadership positions in this sector by year-end. In the information technology sector, the ministry aims to achieve an Omanisation rate of 63%, and to raise the percentage of Omanis in technical, specialized, and leadership roles to 41%, through the implementation of various policies, regulations, and initiatives aimed at governing the labor market in both sectors.
Information Technology Sector Initiatives
The ministry has issued a number of policies and regulations to govern and organize the labor market in the information technology sector. These include the localization and Omanisation of several specialized IT professions. The ministry also launched an initiative to support and finance the salaries of Omanis working in specialized IT roles and projects. In addition, the ministry set mandatory Omanisation percentages in government projects and procurement.
Efforts have also been made to provide freelance job opportunities for Omanis, along with training and qualification programs aimed at enabling income-generating self-employment in the IT sector. The ministry has also facilitated on-the-job training opportunities linked to investment projects in the information technology sector. Furthermore, the ministry continues to implement training and qualification programs for Omanis through the national initiative “Makeen” to enhance the competitiveness of Omanis in various technical job markets.
Transport and Logistics Sector Initiatives
The ministry has also issued a set of policies and regulations to govern and organize the labor market in the transport and logistics sector. It has mandated Omanisation percentages for consultants working with companies contracted by the ministry, and has set a compulsory Omanisation rate of 20% for supervisory positions in the last-mile delivery segment. The ministry has also defined target Omanisation percentages for executive and leadership roles in the sector.
Additional initiatives include training-for-employment programs and joint inspection campaigns carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Labour to curb irregular labor in the transport and logistics sector. The ministry also works with the Ministry of Labour to regulate the issuance of work permits in the maritime sector. Work permits are only granted with the approval of the Labor Market Regulation Committee, especially for positions such as captain, chief officer, chief engineer, second engineer, navigation watch officer, engineering watch officer, and marine pilot.
Enhancing Omanisation in Transport and Logistics
In collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, the ministry is implementing several initiatives to provide technical and specialized training programs aimed at developing individuals’ skills for the workplace. These programs connect job seekers from various educational backgrounds with practical and theoretical training opportunities that ensure employment in companies based on actual needs.
Currently, efforts are underway to enroll approximately 210 Omanis in a training-for-employment program in various fields within the transport and logistics sector. The ministry also implemented a training program in cooperation with the Oman Logistics Association, training 52 Omanis for the profession of trailer and truck drivers.
Promoting Omanisation in the Information Technology Sector
The ministry is actively working on several initiatives to support and empower Omani youth to enter the IT job market. Among them is a wage support initiative, which aims to encourage sustainable employment in specialized IT roles and projects by providing financial support for the salaries of Omanis working in the sector.
The ministry also adopted a freelancing initiative for Omanis in the IT sector, designed to organize and encourage freelance work, thus diversifying employment opportunities for citizens. Under this initiative, a partnership was signed with Awasser Company to provide 58 income-generating freelance opportunities.
Moreover, the ministry launched an on-the-job training initiative to promote employment in investment projects in the IT sector, where 50 Omanis received on-the-job training during the first quarter of 2025 to prepare them for employment in semiconductor-related projects.
In addition, 990 trainees benefited from the Makeen initiative, which aims to equip Omani youth with advanced digital skills, during the first quarter of the year.