The Ministry of Labor has expanded the list of professions reserved for Omani nationals, adding 30 new positions. The list now includes 250 roles. The newly-added roles include, among others: Quality Control Manager, Drilling Officer, Electrical Technician, and Marketing Specialist. Most of the added roles are now reserved for Omanis with immediate effect. Foreign nationals may remain employed in these roles for the length of their work authorization but will then not be able to renew such permits. Some positions will become reserved for Omanis at a future date, including General System Analyst and Information Systems Network Specialist (January 1, 2025); Computer Engineer (January 1, 2026); and Operations Analyst (January 1, 2027). Breaching these rules can lead to significant penalties, and employers will need to reassess their staffing strategies, and potentially restructure elements of their current workforce, to effectively account for these latest changes.
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