Omanisation: Oman's local hiring quotas and Omanis-only jobs

Who uses it

Private-sector employers must meet the quotas and follow the reserved-jobs list. Expatriate job seekers and workers should check it before accepting an offer or planning a permit renewal.

What you can do with Omanisation

• Reserved jobs list: Ministerial Decision 235/2022, expanded by Decision 501/2024, reserves about 250 professions for Omanis, including sales representatives, marketing specialists, quality control officers and mechanical and electrical technicians (from 2 September 2024).
• Phased IT and technical roles: systems analysts and network specialists from 1 January 2025; computer programmers, computer engineers and computer operators from 1 January 2026; web designers and operations analysts from 1 January 2027.
• Sector percentages: the Minister of Labour sets the share of Omanis each sector or activity must employ (Labour Law, Article 23).
• One Omani per business: since June 2025, every commercial registration that is more than one year old must employ at least one Omani or submit a hiring plan, or face a ban on new work permits or licences.
• Fees and contracts: employers that meet their targets get 30% off work permit fees, while non-compliant ones pay double (Resolution 602/2025). Government bodies are told not to contract with non-compliant companies.

Step by step

1. 1

   Check your job title against the reserved list

   Before applying or accepting an offer, check whether your profession is reserved for Omanis under the Ministry of Labour decisions, including roles that become reserved on a future date.

2. 2

   Confirm the employer has a permit for your exact role

   An employer needs Ministry of Labour authorisation to hire a non-Omani for a specific job. Ask the employer to confirm the work permit is approved for the job title in your contract.

3. 3

   Check the employer is in good standing

   Companies that miss their Omanisation targets can be blocked from issuing new work permits. Ask the employer whether it meets its Omanisation requirements, especially if it is a small or new business.

4. 4

   Plan ahead if your role becomes Omanis-only

   If your profession is added to the list, you can usually keep working until your current permit expires, but it will not be renewed in that role. Use that time to move to an open role or another employer.

Frequently asked questions