Planning & Development  

Human Resources Development Strategy » Introduction

Since the onset of the renaissance era, the government of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Sultan of Oman, has adopted a wider definition of human resources development. The concept adopted considers this as the aim and ultimate goal of the development process. On the basis of this broad perception all previous development plans have therefore attached significant importance to human resources development. The focus on human resources has been strengthened further and now it has become one of the main dimensions of the Vision for Oman's Economy: Oman 2020.

On the basis of the approved strategy for human resources development the Sultanate strives to create quantitative and qualitative improvement in all fields of general and technical education, vocational training, higher education, health services, the labour market and in the different demographic indicators.  

The achievement of all the dimensions of the Vision for Oman's Economy relies on accomplishing economic equilibrium and sustainable growth, the diversification of income sources and private sector development. This cannot be realized without formulating a realistic and flexible strategy for human resources development.

Through the adoption of a practical integrated policies and mechanisms for human resources development the Sultanate can prepare the Omani society to enter the 21st century. Competition in the next century will be based upon the industries that depend on science and knowledge. The success of nations in the coming century will be closely linked to the potentialities and skills of their people to cope with technological and scientific advances. This calls for creativity undesrstanding and scientific invention.

It is important to emphasize that caring for mothers results in the creation of a model nation. As women represent half of Omani society the government has accorded special care to them since commencement of the development process. As one of the fundamental bases of the development efforts equal employment opportunities in all fields have been provided for women by the state. Social indicators in the fields of education, health and labour market reflect the significant gains made by women in this respect. Girls now represent 48% of total students at primary stage, 46% at a preparatory stage and more than half the students in the academic year 1995-96 at Sultan Qaboos University, These percentages remain unchanged for 2005.For historical and traditional reasons the participation of women in the formal economic and social sectors is still modest. However women's participation in informal sector such as handicrafts and traditional industries is relatively significant. Through this strategy the government will strive to develop the role of Omani women and their contribution to the national economy within the next phase.

The first issue discussed in this chapter will be the vision for human resources. The challenges facing human resources development which hamper the achievement of the Vision will then be reviewed. Such challenges are based upon the evaluation reports mentioned earlier in chapter three. Finally this chapter provides a review of the polices and mechanises that will be adopted in order to achieve the approved strategy.

It must be noted here that all sub sectors of the human resources sector are inter-connected. Thus the programme is viewed as an integrated one, although each sub-sector is presented separately.

It is essential to emphasize that the implementation of the approved policies and mechanisms, however meticulous their preparation need continuous upgrading and improvement particularly as their implementation will continue over twenty five years. Therefore the policies and mechanisms approved for implementing the human resources development strategy will be subjected to periodic review so as to ensure their viability, efficiency and conformity with new development at domestic and international levels.