Thursday 07 / August / 2025
The Youth Centre has initiated a programme codenamed "Mustaqil" that emerges as a first national system to discover the entrepreneurship talents of young people and convert the skills into sources of income. The programme seeks to foster a culture of independent work and entrepreneurship among school students. It is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the SMEs Development Authority (Riyada).
The three-month programme, which began on 7 July 2025, will run until 18 September 2025. It is being implemented in 11 training institutions across the Sultanate of Oman. The institutions include Sohar University, the Junior Development Centre in Sur, Ibri Club, the Sultan Qaboos Youth Compound for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah, the Youth Centre in Al Khuwair, Al Sharqiyah University in Ibra, Oman Across the Ages Museum in Manah, "Wali Hall" in A'Rustaq, the Special Economic Zone Authority in Duqm and Khasab Sports Club.
The programme targets 330 school students (male and female) of grades 10, 11, and 12—at a rate of 30 participants from each governorate.
The programme offers comprehensive professional and cultural training content that enhances the students' understanding of freelance work and provides them with the skills needed to provide digital services and deal with clients. "Mustaqil" also coaches the students by enabling them to develop professional portfolios on freelance platforms. It inculcates early entrepreneurial thinking in the students so that they could establish viable small businesses.
Samira Al Tal’ee, Head of the Education Ministry's Entrepreneurship Department at the Career Guidance Centre, said that "Mustaqil" programme constitutes a step forward in guiding students to associate academic education with practical reality.
She added that, due to rapid economic developments, freelancing has become a major career path. She pointed out that "Mustaqil" responds to this reality by developing early professional awareness and enabling students to convert their passion for business into practical sources of income.
For her part, Halima Ibrahim Al Balushi, Career Guidance Supervisor in Muscat Governorate, stressed the significance of the programme in promoting awareness about digital opportunities. The programme enables students to develop professional profiles on freelancing platforms, she explained.
She pointed out that "Mustaqil" is an interactive programme that helps students discover their skills in a stimulating and professional environment.
The students enrolled in "Mustaqil" expressed their satisfaction with the programme which, they said, helped them gain confidence to practice entrepreneurial and financial activities. They also underlined the importance of the workshops that, they said, gave them early access to the job market, thanks to the proper orientation provided by "Mustaqil" programme.
The parents of the target students also acknowledged the programme's positive impact on their children. They affirmed that the programme enabled the students to make ideal use of their summer vacation, instilled confidence in them, enabled them to understand freelancing and artificial intelligence and provided them with good communication skills.
The "Mustaqil" represents a model of institutions’ contribution to supporting and empowering youth in line with the goals of Oman Vision 2040. It helps raise a productive, independent and business-minded generation that is capable of taking the initiative to develop a digital, economic future.
