Oman's Ministry bans visa for expats in ten sectors

The Minister of Manpower Oman, Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bakri, issued a ministerial decision banning temporarily the licences for recruitment of expatriate manpower in ten professions.

The decision has temporarily banned the recruitment of expatriate manpower by the private sector in ten sectors for six months. However, the licences issued prior to the date the decision takes effect shall remain valid until the expiry of their respective terms.

The decision does not apply to establishments owned by employers wholly devoted to the management of their establishments which are registered with the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development and insured with the Public Authority for Social Insurance (PASI).

The decision shall take effect on the day of its publication in the Official Gazette.

Below are the roles of the job affected by the suspension.

Information and Technology

1.Information Security Specialist

2.Geographic Information System Specialist

3.Electronic Computer Networks

4.Programmed Machines Maintenance - Electronic

5.Electronic Calculator Maintenance

6.Graphic Designer

7.Electronic Surveillance - Equipment Assembly

8.Electronics Technician - Telecom

9.Electronics Technician - Control Instrument

10.Electronic Technician - Medical Equipment

11.Electronics Technician Broadcast

12.Electronic Technician - Programmed Machines

13.Electronic Technician - Computer Networks

14.Computer Programmer

15.Computer Engineer

16.Computer operator

Accounting and Finance

1.Bank Notes and Moneychanger

2.Bank notes technician

3.Account Auditing technician

4.General accounting technician

5.Cost account technician

6.Costs accountant

7.Insurance collector

Marketing and Sales

1.Sales specialist

2.Storekeeper

3.Commercial agent

4.Commercial manager

5.Procurement logistics specialist

Administration and Human Resources

1.Business Administration Specialist

2.Public Relation Specialist

3.Human Resources Specialist

4.Administrative Director

Insurance

1.Insurance Agent General

2.Real Estate Insurance Agent

3.Cargo Insurance Agent

4.Life Insurance Agent

5.Vehicle Insurance Agent

6.Factory Insurance Agent

Information/Media Professions

1. Media Specialist

2. Page Maker

3. Paper Pulp Machine Operator

4. Bookbinding Machine Operator

5. Decorative Books Operator of

6. Calendar Operator

7. Paper Dyeing Machine Operators

8. Bill Printing Machine Operator

9. Cylinder Press Operator

10. Rotating Press Operator

11. Offset Printing Machine Operator

12. Color Press Operator

13. Planographic Press Operator

14. Paper Folder Machine Operator

15. Paper Coating Machine Operator

16. Advertising Agent

Medical Professions

1. Male Nurse

2.Pharmacist Assistant

3. Medical Coordinator

Airport Professions

1. Aviation Guiding Officer

2. Ground Steward

3. Ticket controller

4. Airplane takeoff Supervisor

5. Air traffic controller

6. Aircraft Landing supervisor

7. Passenger Transport supervisor

8. Land Guide

Engineering Professions

1. Architect

2. General Survey Engineer

3. Civil Engineer

4. Electronic Engineer

5. Electronics Engineer

6. Mechanical Engineer

7. Projects Engineers

Technical Professions

1. Building Technician/Building Controller

2. Electronic Technician

3. Road Technician/Road Controller

4. Mechanical Technician

5. Soil Mechanics Laboratory Technician

6. Steam Turbine Technician

7. Construction materials lab technician

8. Gas Network Extension Technician

9. Construction Technician

10. Transformer Technician

11. Station Technician

12. Electrical Technician

13. Heat Operations Technician

14. Maintenance Technician

15. Chemical Technician

The extension of ban for employment visas to expatriates came into effect from May 4, 2014 in Oman

MUSCAT — The Royal Oman Police (ROP), in coordination with other authorities concerned, has decided not to issue employment visas for expatriates, who have previously worked in the Sultanate and not completed two years from the date of last departure after leaving a company.
Announcing this, the ROP said this is in accordance with the requirements of the expatriates Residency Law and will be implemented from July 1, 2014.
Last month, the Ministry of Manpower extended by another six months a ban on employing expatriate construction workers and housekeeping staff in the private sector.
The extension of the ban came into effect from May 4, 2014, continuing a six-month ban which was due to expire on May 1.
The ban has been extended after reviewing the needs of the expat labour market and the decision is based on recommendations from the Committee of Sectoral and Contractors Association, which appealed to the ministries concerned to regulate the labour market.
The small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are exempted from the ban. This has been done in agreement between the ministry and the Public Authority for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises.
It is worth mentioning that recently Oman has decided to limit the proportion of expatriates working in the private sector from 39 per cent to 33 per cent and has outlined steps to increase the percentage of national manpower in the private sector and to rationalise the recruitment of expatriates apart from affirming its commitment to limit the level of expatriates working in the private sector.
The labour market regularisation comes in response to the demographic changes witnessed by the Sultanate’s job market.
The recent NCSI data reveals that the expatriate population rose 0.28 per cent to touch 1.7659 million by the end of February 2014, as against 1.7614 million during the previous month.
This constitutes 44.2 per cent of the country’s total population of 3.9919 million, of which 2.2260 million people or 55.8 per cent are nationals, according to the data.
Of the total 1.7659 million expatriates, 1.5345 million are employees working in various sectors and the remaining 232,000 people are their family members.
The growth of foreign workers is mainly driven by the construction sector, especially infrastructure projects.
For the expatriate population, the number of males is higher than females, with 1,448,816 males versus 318,580 females. The Governorate of Muscat recorded the highest percentage of expatriates which stood at 62 per cent of the total population of the governorate by the end of March 2014, while Omanis comprised 38 per cent of the residents. In Al Dakhiliyah the ratio of Omanis is 77 per cent compared to 23 per cent expatriates.