Oman is planning to ban foreign expatriate workers in construction and housekeeping, as part of attempting to secure more jobs for its citizens and boost its economy.
Most workers come from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan and are part of the oil and construction industry.
Minister of Manpower Shaikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Bakri said that expatriates will not be hired by private companies in the two sectors fro a six-month period beginning May 4.
According to Gulf News, the number of foreign workers in Oman rose from 4.7 million to 1.53 million in February, government data reveal.
In high contrast, the Omani workers had a meager number of just 184,485 in the private sector.
The country has been spending billions of dollars on other avenues to expand its economy beyond oil and does not want to deprive them of labour; many families also attribute to employing domestic help from abroad. (ANI)