Oman halts foreign worker visas for 6 months

Oman intends to suspend visas for new foreign workers in the private sector for six months from the start of November in a bid to reorganize the domestic labour market, official Omani news agency reported on Monday.

The decision excludes “first class” companies and those involved in consultancy activities and in government projects, the agency said.

“The decision affects private sector workers mainly in cleaning and the construction sector,” it said, quoting a statement by the Ministry of Manpower.

“It is intended to reorganize the labour market and evaluate its actual needs of expatriate labour,” it added.

Like other Gulf oil producers, Oman is heavily reliant on foreign workers but has been in locked in a drive to replace them with nationals to curb unemployment.

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