Muscat, 8 September 2026: The Oman Ministry of Labour has officially documented more than 1,000 instances of non-Omani workers holding positions designated exclusively for Omani nationals, a policy known as Omanisation. The data was disseminated on 8 September 2026 via the Omani news account Al Sawt, citing official briefings from the Ministry of Labour (@Labour_OMAN).
- Ministry documents over 1,000 violations of Omanisation rules
- Foreign nationals found in roles reserved for Omani citizens
- Inspection data shows strict penalties and ongoing enforcement
The enforcement action underscores the government's strict regulation of the private sector, where foreign nationals—including significant populations of Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Filipino workers—are prohibited from occupying reserved roles. These roles include, but are not limited to, administrative directors, human resources, public relations, reception, security supervision, tour guiding, insurance brokerage, and various clerical positions. Establishments found in violation face penalties including financial fines, the denial of work-permit renewals, potential referral to Public Prosecution, and the deportation of the involved expatriates.
Inspection Data and Regulatory Context
Regulatory context provided by the ministry indicates that in the first half of 2026, authorities conducted 6,707 inspection visits. These efforts resulted in 11,172 expatriates found in breach of labour regulations, leading to 2,944 deportations and the collection of OMR 3.24 million in fines. Current data shows a 69.5% compliance rate across inspected establishments. Further restrictive policies include a ban on the renewal of work permits for expatriates over the age of 60 and the imposition of increased fees for companies that fail to meet mandated Omanisation quotas.
Authorities have warned that inspectors are actively identifying cases where companies list non-restricted job titles on labour cards while assigning workers to prohibited Omanised roles. To mitigate risks, expatriates are advised to verify that their official labour card job title aligns with current government lists, confirm their company's sector quota status with human resources, and maintain accessible copies of their employment contracts and labour cards.
