Are there enough jobs for expats in Oman in 2024? This question has become common as we approach the end of 2023. The answer is: yes, there are still jobs for expats in Oman in 2024.
Since the beginning of Sultan Haitham’s era the Omani economy assumed a different shape. The government successfully managed to contain the what looked then like a perfect storm. The harsh effect of COVID-19 coupled with the decline in oil prices forced Oman to take extreme economic and socioeconomic measures.
The fruit of those measures have become visible in several fronts. The major economic indicators and the public fiscal and monetary figures verify that. For instance, public debt decreased, budget deficit turned into surplus and the sovereign funds and reserves are building up.
Employment market in Oman in 2024
Naturally, the employment market in Oman has reacted to the economic development. Lower unemployment rates, revised labor laws, enhanced Omanization plans and increase of number of regional and international companies commencing operations in Oman are among the reasons why one should be bullish about jobs in Oman for Expats in 2024.
Growth in Oman population
The market in 2022 and 2023 created more jobs for Omanis and expats. The rapid growth in Oman’s population reflects the boom in the job market. The table below illustrates the growth of population* from the beginning of 2021 to current date:
|
Date |
Omani | Expats | Total | Growth |
% |
| 1/1/2021 |
2.736 |
1.746 |
4.482 |
||
| 1/1/2022 |
2.805 |
1.724 | 4.529 | 0.047 |
1.05% |
| 1/1/2023 |
2.869 |
2.067 | 4.936 | 0.407 |
8.99% |
| 20/9/2023 |
2.911 |
2.218 | 5.129 | 0.193 |
3.91% |
*Numbers in millions
As a matter of fact, out of the 2.218 million expats living in Oman 1.808 millions are employed in the private sector.
Jobs for Expats in Oman in 2023
As of end of August 2023, over half a million expat workers are in service sector. Furthermore, about 447 thousand workers work in construction sector. About 195 thousands are in manufacturing. Analyzing these sectors, we could say that hospitality and tourism comprise a sizable chunk of the service sector. Retail is another contributor to this sector.
Our interaction with employers in Oman using www.jobibex.com to recruit reveals that hospitality and tourism and retail remain the largest employers in Oman in 2023 so far. Other sectors such as manufacturing and oil and gas have also been creating jobs for Omanis and expats in 2023. In other words, the opportunities are limitless.
Jobs for Expats in Oman in 2024
We expect the leading employing sectors in 2023 will continue offering jobs at the same pace in 2024. Besides, other sectors are also likely to offer many job opportunities as well. To be precise, our analysis suggests that the expats with experience and skills in the following sectors would be in demand in Oman in 2024:
Sales and Marketing
The number of businesses serving each market segment increased in recent years so did competition. The total number of SMEs in Oman grew from 48,669 at the end of 2020 to 227,609 at the end of Q2-2023. The growth enticed companies to become active and aggressive in pushing their products and services to their existing and potential customers.
Sales jobs, in particular, are very much abundant provided that you have Oman or GCC experience, solid core product knowledge and, for most part, a valid Omani driving license.
Hospitality
In the hotel and tourism front, there have been a surge across all indicators. The government continues to promote Oman as a hot tourist destination. In addition, residents of have developed the habit of exploring other parts of Oman during winter season. This has further boosted revenues to hotels and hospitality establishments. The number hotel residents grew from 1,499,461in 2018 to 1,629,205 in 2022.
There will be more jobs in the hospitality and tourism sector for expats in Oman in 2024. Restaurants and food and beverage sectors are also in demand for skilled and unskilled labors. Hospitality staff of all kinds will be highly demanded across the Sultanate as the development in hospitality sector covers almost every part of the country.
Accounting and Finance
Naturally, accounts and finance professionals remain in demand in Oman. This is due to the growth in overall economy as well as the revised taxation laws. Companies, especially SMEs, have realized the importance of acquiring experienced calibers that can handle the upcoming challenges.
A sizable portion of assignments given to our recruitment agency has been to identify competent finance and accounts managers. In addition, even smaller businesses that have never had dedicated account personnel are now realizing the importance of the role of accounts and finance. Thus, instead of having someone who enters transaction in their system, they would look for accountants who can carry out the entire accounting operations.
Oil and Gas
Oman’s government derives roughly 70% of its annual budget from oil and gas revenues through taxation and joint ownership of some of the most productive fields, and the industry accounts for 30% of Oman’s gross domestic product. As oil and gas sector forms a major part of Oman’s economy, we expect this sector to continue generating employment and offering opportunities for Omanis and expats.
Jobs in Oil and Gas sector in Oman in 2024 include: drilling engineers and supervisors, surveyors, pipeline engineers, oilfield workers and well testing operators.
Education
Most of the jobs in the education sector in Oman for expats are in the private schools. Obviously, public schools, generally, hire Omanis. The number of private schools in Oman grew from 730 in the academic year 2017-2018 to 991 in the academic year 2022-2023. The number of students grew from 116,483 in 2017 to 150,506 in 2022. Obviously, the number will grow due to the growth in the number of expats moving to Oman and looking for reliable schools for their children.
In addition, our job portal for hiring teachers www.hireteachers.net continues to receive applications for hiring more teachers in Oman for the current academic year from existing and new private schools in Oman. Most of the requirements include: native English teachers, special education teachers, shadow teachers and school admin staff.
Conclusion
At www.jobibex.com we are bullish about the job market in Oman in 2024. We strongly believe that the market will continue to generate more jobs. These job are for Omanis and expats in 2024 and, hopefully, beyond. However, we reinforce that our clients are only interested in quality as opposed to just filling positions. So, do not expect to get a job offer unless you are equipped with what it takes to succeed in the job market. Most of our clients carry out thorough professional and personal background check. They also take longer time to make the hiring decision as they prefer to carefully review the available candidates to choose the ones that are most fit. Therefore, you must bear in mind that you have to become among the most suitable candidates out there to land a job in Oman in 2024.
