Sunday 21 / September / 2025
Muscat: People across the Sultanate have been asked to volunteer their services to help the authorities in the country deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over 1,200 people have already answered the call for volunteers by the Ministry of Social Development, which has encouraged anyone who wishes to offer help to come forward.
“Everyone can volunteer with us, whether they are a citizen or resident of Oman,” said Mishaal bin Abdullah Al Farsi, the director of the Office of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development.
“They will be trained to improve the quality of their work, and give them the skills required to assist us properly.”
“Volunteering has been a feature of Omani society through the ages, and the government is working to improve this aspect, in the form of an organised, institutional framework,” added Al Farsi.
“Efforts from volunteers to contribute during times of crises that countries go through has always been appreciated. Oman is no exception in this matter.
“Everyone is aware of the assistance volunteers have provided to those who need help, since the start of the pandemic,” he said.
“What is needed now is mutual coordination among all sectors involved in dealing with the virus, so we came up with a plan to recruit volunteers to meet organisational needs.”
Volunteers will be tasked across a number of areas of work, including the health sector, community counselling, and will be involved in handling tasks for awareness campaigns, such as photography, graphic design, media coverage, and public relations.
Those who do sign up to work must follow the related rules issued by the Supreme Committee to deal with COVID-19, and the office of the local Wali.
They are required to behave decently in public, and maintain confidentiality where required by the nature of their work. Work done by volunteers cannot be exploited for personal or financial gain, or for any other unethical/illegal purposes.
Volunteers are required to be between the ages of 25 and 60, need to be physically fit, must consent to working where tasked, according to the needs of the pandemic, and according to schedules prepared by the office of the governor of each region in the country.
Mishaal Al Farsi added that some volunteers might be required to work directly with COVID patients, as well as provide other related services.
“Work will be assigned according to the volunteer’s specialisation, and by using modern methods of communication,” he explained.
“For example, psychology and counselling services will be provided through virtual communication platforms. We are keen to ensure the safety of everyone, and have drawn up preventive measures for volunteers, which will be shared with them during their training period.”
“At present, we do not see a need for volunteers to move between governorates to offer services, because there are many available within the wilayats themselves,” added Al Farsi.
“In future, if there is a need to support some governorates with additional volunteers, this will be done in accordance with a plan developed for this purpose.”
People who wish to offer their services can sign up at www.mosd.gov.om, where they will be required to fill in a form, providing their personal details, the governorate they live in, educational qualifications, and current state of employment.
They must also mention the area of work they wish to volunteer in, provide information regarding previous volunteer opportunities, and how long they can spare in a day towards volunteering.
