Friday 15 / November / 2024
Muscat: A kick-off meeting to explore ways of boosting employment opportunities for Omanis was held by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and members of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI).
The workshop examined possible ways of collaboration with business leaders from a number of sectors of economy including services, construction, tourism, logistics, investment, real estate, and the automotive industry.
PDO Managing Director Raoul Restucci gave around 20 senior executives, led by OCCI Chairman Said bin Saleh Al Kiyoumi, an overview of the Company’s activities, not least the goal of creating 50,000 job and training opportunities for nationals outside oil and gas from 2017-2019.
Restucci said: “PDO has strong relationships with the Omani business community and it is incumbent on all of us to work together to support His Majesty’s Government in addressing the key national priorities of creating employment for nationals while diversifying the economy”.
He added, “We have already generated thousands of job and training opportunities with key partners in a variety of industries but the private sector will need to continue to step up if we are to create meaningful and rewarding jobs for more than 40,000 young Omanis graduating or leaving education each year”.
Al Kiyoumi said: “We are pleased to visit PDO, the largest oil and gas exploration and production company in the Sultanate of Oman. It is a leading company in supporting and qualifying the Omani cadres and has a long history of serving the community since 1962”.
He added, “The role of the private sector is recognised as the primary partner of the Government in the development of Oman. We, at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry as representatives of the Omani private sector, would like to commend the significant role played by many companies in making the private sector an attractive and encouraging environment for young people”.
Al Kiyoumi furthered, “PDO has played an active role in encouraging Omani cadres, as this company has a great track record of achievements in many social and economic aspects”.
He pointed out that PDO has also made great progress in focusing on the recruitment of Omani cadres and it has achieved a high percentage of Omanisation. The company believes in the capabilities and skills of the Omani youths and their ability to achieve its goals and ambitions. We hope that the rest of the private sector establishments will follow their example in benefiting from the abilities and capabilities of the Omani youth and the Omanisation of senior positions in their establishments.
The Company presented OCCI members with a number of potential investment opportunities, such as in the industrial and logistics parks it is establishing in its concession area at Qarn Alam and Marmul. It also outlined the scope of a new manpower service umbrella it is working to establish called Emdad, which will make it easier for jobseekers to be matched with suitable vacancies or given the necessary training.
PDO has been an active supporter of the Tanfeedh programme on enhancing national economic diversification and Restucci said: “We all need to support key initiatives like Tanfeedh so that we can produce a competent and competitive Omani workforce across the full spectrum of the economy”.
During the meeting, PDO highlighted the work it was doing on sustainable energy development, especially renewables such a solar, as it begins its transition to becoming a fully-fledged energy company.
Restucci said: “We think there is a great economic and employment opportunity for Oman to become a global hub of renewable energy expertise as we gradually move away from a dependence on fossil fuels”.
