Muscat – Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) has launched the second edition of its Marriage Guidance Trainers Programme with 37 participants from various departments and directorates across Oman.

The two-week programme aims to equip participants with skills in communication, public speaking, persuasion, dialogue and presentation techniques, alongside core concepts in marriage counselling. The training is intended to prepare officials to guide individuals planning to marry and support them in building stable family units.

The programme includes sessions on trainer preparation, effective communication between spouses, personality types, marital compatibility, addressing emotional needs, joint parenting and conflict resolution. Participants will also be trained in modern coaching methods and techniques to enhance their ability to connect with and counsel young couples.

Saeed bin Rashid al Maktoumi, Head of Family Counselling Section at the Family Counselling and Guidance Department, said the programme is essential for empowering regional trainers with the tools to promote healthy marital relations.

He said the programme plays a preventive role in reducing disputes and divorce rates. “By strengthening pre-marriage counselling, we are working to preserve family cohesion and build a more resilient society.”

Maktoumi described the family as a foundational unit that contributes to social stability. “The family is a group of individuals linked by kinship, operating within a legal and social framework to meet shared needs. It shapes individual behaviour and development while providing emotional support and care throughout life.”

MoSD aims to enhance counselling services across the sultanate to help create more resilient families and contribute to broader societal stability.