How can they bring their skills home?

Namariq Al Riyami is one of the increasingly young Omanis who are torn between their own homeland and the professional trappings of working abroad.

It all started when she was awarded a scholarship by the ministry of education and left Oman in 2014 and headed to Michigan, United States. After her bachelor in Industrial and Systems Engineering, she decided to upgrade her education with two postgraduates in the same field.

Then came the crunch that impelled her to make a decision that would change the bearings in her life. Should she come back to Oman and look for a job? It was not easy to make that decision but decided to stay on in Michigan and joined a car parts manufacturing company.

For her, it was an exciting choice to get into a carrier that did not exist, not just in Oman, but the rest of the gulf countries.

She thought it would expand her professional horizon and learn something new, which otherwise, she would not get it back home.

With a five-year work experience for car parts production, she said that working for a manufacturing environment, has given her strong exposure to international standards in program management, commercial strategy and customer management.

“That experience gave me direct insight into how major automakers develop and launch vehicle programs,” she said.

But that’s not all.

A sizeable chunk of her working program involves close coordination with engineering teams based in China, Korea, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom.

“Which has helped me develop a strong understanding of how different cultures communicate, operate, make decisions and the approach problem-solving in multi-million dollar deals,” she pointed out.

Is she considering coming back home after more than a decade away? She said it is certainly in her near future radar beam now that Oman has started the drive of vehicle manufacturing units in the free and economic zones.

With her experience, she is well equipped to slot in and contribute what she has learned in the vehicle manufacturing industries that are about to takeoff in Oman.

“It is certainly in my mind to join the car manufacturing projects in Oman if I get approached. I will be happy to transfer my skills to my country and perhaps be the first Omani engineer in the local vehicle industry,” Namariq added.

But Namariq is one of many young Omanis spreading their wings beyond the country’s horizons and many feels they need to come back to fill many professional gaps for the advancement of their homeland.

They are much needed back home in a country that is fast attracting international investments in projects to boost investments.