Muscat – The Ministry of Labour offered 2,538 job opportunities across 42 government entities in the first half of 2026, with university graduates accounting for more than three quarters of the positions.

The opportunities comprised 1,500 new vacancies, 39 contract-based positions and 999 Omanisation opportunities.

These were announced through three recruitment drives. The first offered 1,681 positions and the second 757, while 100 opportunities were allocated to persons with disabilities.

Abdullah bin Sultan Al Sunaidi, Director of the Government Sector Employment and Omanisation Department at the Ministry of Labour, said recruitment is being increasingly linked to the actual and future workforce needs of government entities.

Of the 999 Omanisation opportunities, representing about 39% of the total, 877 were linked to training and qualification programmes, while 122 involved direct Omanisation.

Al Sunaidi said the training-based approach was particularly important for specialised positions where jobseekers may not immediately possess the required skills or practical experience.

Candidates undergo training before appointment, allowing government entities to prepare national personnel for specific roles while narrowing gaps between workforce requirements and available skills.

As part of the programme, the ministry is also working to replace 110 expatriate trainers with Omanis at vocational colleges.

Vacancies for these positions are expected to be announced in 2026, while selection and appointment procedures are due to be completed in 2027. Those appointed are expected to begin work at the start of the 2027/2028 academic year.

University graduates accounted for 1,927 of the opportunities offered during the first half. Another 280 were earmarked for post-secondary diploma holders and 201 for General Education Diploma holders.

Al Sunaidi said the distribution reflected differing staffing requirements across government entities and the qualifications needed for individual positions.

The ministry assesses recruitment requests submitted by government bodies against the nature of the posts, required specialisations, education and training outcomes and the availability of suitably qualified jobseekers.

The broader approach is intended to shift government recruitment away from filling isolated vacancies towards workforce planning, with priority posts filled through direct recruitment, Omanisation or job-linked training programmes.