Creation of new job opportunities for citizens in tourism sector discussed

Muscat: The Media, Tourism, and Culture Committee of the Shura Council held its seventh meeting of the second annual session (2024–2025) of the tenth term on, chaired by Abdullah Hamad Al-Harthy.

The session hosted Azzan  Qassim Al Busaidi, Undersecretary for Tourism at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, along with ministry officials, to discuss strategies for enhancing job localisation in the tourism sector and the establishment of integrated tourism cities and service stations for mobile homes.

Al-Harthy welcomed the ministry representatives, highlighting the value of direct engagement with government bodies to exchange ideas and advance the tourism sector—one of Oman’s key pillars for economic diversification under Vision 2040.

The Undersecretary gave a detailed presentation on the tourism sector’s latest performance indicators, including its contribution to GDP, growth in local and foreign investments, and the expansion of hospitality infrastructure.

He also outlined future development plans, ongoing inter-agency coordination efforts, and challenges facing the sector.

He emphasised the link between expanding tourism projects and creating new job opportunities for Omanis.

The members raised questions regarding the ministry’s job creation efforts, particularly in replacing expatriates in supervisory and managerial roles.

They stressed the need for phased Omanisation targets in the hospitality sector that preserve service quality.

Discussions also touched on establishing integrated service stations for mobile homes to support adventure and desert tourism, ensuring high standards of safety and accessibility. The concept of fully integrated tourism cities—with hotels, entertainment, retail, and services—was also explored as a means of attracting domestic and foreign investment.

The committee praised the ministry’s efforts in promoting tourism and local employment. It underscored the importance of cross-sector coordination, leveraging global best practices, and maximising Oman’s unique cultural, natural, and heritage assets to strengthen the country’s regional and international tourism competitiveness.