Friday 09 / January / 2026
Muscat--- The Shura Council continued, for the second consecutive day, its discussion of the statement of Dr. Mahad Said Ba'owain, the Minister of Labour, concerning a number of topics related to the labor market, achieving employment stability, and developing the vocational training system. This took place within the framework of the eighth ordinary session of the third ordinary convening (2025/2026).
The members of the Council emphasized the importance of transitioning from immediate remedies for labor market issues to adopting proactive policies based on strategic planning.
These policies should consider economic and technological transformations and ensure the sustainability of job opportunities for citizens, particularly in the private sector, which is relied upon to absorb the largest proportion of the national workforce. In addition, the interventions also included an emphasis on granting priority in employment opportunities to the beneficiaries of social security and those with limited income.
The members of the Council pointed out that vocational training constitutes one of the strategic pathways for addressing employment challenges, especially in light of the national direction to enhance job opportunities in the private sector. They clarified that the numbers of those enrolled in vocational training still fall below the required level compared to the scale of the labor market's needs, especially in the technical, technological, and craft sectors.
During the session's proceedings, they addressed the extent of the effectiveness of the Ministry of Labour's programs in absorbing job seekers and addressing the effects of job layoffs. They called for the development of these programs to align with the rapid changes in the labour market, ensuring the achievement of sustainable economic and social impact.
They stressed the necessity of aligning higher education outputs with the labor market through the existing coordination between the Ministry of Labour, educational institutions, and relevant bodies to align educational outputs with current and future labor market needs. They also emphasized the importance of establishing clear mechanisms for updating specializations and academic programs according to market requirements, as well as the Ministry's role in anticipating future jobs and preparing coming generations for them.
The session's proceedings were chaired by Khalid Hilal Al Maawali, Chairman of the Shura Council.
