Unlocking Growth: How Oman’s Clean Economy Job Potential Can Boost Your Business Opportunities
MUSCAT, DECEMBER 25 — Oman’s clean economy, encompassing renewables, green hydrogen, e-fuels, and other low-carbon technologies, presents not only an environmental and technological shift but also a significant structural economic opportunity. This emerging sector has the potential to drive job creation, promote industrial diversification, and foster long-term skills development.
These insights come from a new report by Muscat-based think tank, The Majan Council for Foresight, Strategic Affairs, and Energy, titled Building Workforce Readiness: The Oman Clean Energy Labour Outlook. The study was commissioned by the Oman Energy Association (OPAL) and funded by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals alongside the Ministry of Labour.
The report examines six key sectors within the clean economy: hydrogen production and infrastructure; solar and wind power development; building energy efficiency solutions; low-carbon steel, aluminium, and cement manufacturing; electrolyser manufacturing; and the production of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and wind turbines, covering the complete clean technology value chain.
Serving as a foundational resource for policymakers, educators, and investors, the report concludes that while the clean economy alone cannot solve Oman’s employment challenges, it can serve as a vital pillar for sustainable job creation, skills enhancement, and industrial diversification. Achieving this depends on implementing clear policy frameworks, ensuring predictable project sequencing, and fostering close collaboration among education, investment, and regulatory bodies. The study emphasizes the urgent need to swiftly adapt vocational training, prioritize targeted certifications over new academic degrees, better align current skills—especially in IT, engineering, and business—and devise policies that balance profitability with employment goals and Omanisation.
Lead authors Abdulrahman Baboraik and Dawud Ansari caution that the employment potential of the clean economy is “more moderate than sometimes anticipated.” They note, “Clean energy, in particular, is capital intensive and generates fewer long-term jobs compared to labour-intensive sectors. Employment is largely concentrated in construction and installation phases, where Omanisation remains low and is unlikely to improve without focused intervention. Operational roles, while more conducive to localisation, are limited in number and demand specific skill sets.”
Nevertheless, the report underscores that even a modest number of high-quality, skilled jobs can have a significant catalytic effect if strategically integrated into broader industrial development and workforce planning. Converting potential into actual employment opportunities will require deliberate efforts.
The authors stress the importance of clear strategic commitment and predictable investment sequencing to ensure workforce readiness. Investors and institutions require assurance regarding project directions and timelines, while education and vocational training systems must be aligned with project rollouts to prevent skills mismatches and maintain a steady flow of qualified Omani talent as investments scale up.
To meet these challenges, the report calls for proactive partnerships among developers, operators, educators, and policymakers to create a shared workforce roadmap. This roadmap should connect project timelines with job categories and skill needs, while maintaining rigorous yet flexible training and certification systems to avoid delays that could hinder Omanisation and increase dependency on foreign labor.
Oman’s clean energy economy is already advancing rapidly, supported by ambitious multi-gigawatt renewable energy targets, large-scale green hydrogen and e-fuels projects, and growing investments in low-carbon industrial manufacturing. These efforts position the Sultanate as a regional hub for clean power generation, energy exports, and green industrial value chains—contributing importantly to economic diversification, employment growth, and long-term economic resilience.
Special Analysis by Omanet | Navigate Oman’s Market
Oman’s emerging clean economy presents strategic opportunities for industrial diversification and the creation of high-quality, skilled jobs, particularly in renewables, green hydrogen, and low-carbon manufacturing. However, businesses and investors must anticipate a capital-intensive sector with moderate long-term employment growth, necessitating close coordination with education and policy frameworks to ensure workforce readiness and maximize Omanisation. Smart entrepreneurs should focus on aligning skills development with project timelines and partner proactively with policymakers to navigate the evolving clean energy landscape effectively.
