اخبار سلطنة عُمان – وطن نيوز
اخر اخبار سلطنة عُمان اليوم – اخبار سلطنة عُمان العاجلة
W6nnews.com ==== وطن === تاريخ النشر – 2026-05-02 13:34:00
At a time when the Sultanate of Oman is accelerating towards achieving the goals of “Oman Vision 2040”, there is an urgent need to understand the profound transformations occurring in the structure and standards of society, especially in light of the passing of the torch from the “Renaissance of Establishment” established by Sultan Qaboos bin Said – may God rest his soul – to the “Renaissance of Renewal” led by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq – may God protect him – and in this important sociological context, Dr. Saeed Al Hussein revealed Abdali, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Sultan Qaboos University, spoke about the details of a recent field study funded by the College of Arts and Social Sciences, which sheds light on “the normative and structural transformations in Omani society and their impact on young people’s perceptions of the future.” The study, which targeted university students and job seekers, opens a thorny file that has long troubled decision-makers, namely the relationship of Omani youth to professions that for decades have remained the monopoly of expatriate workers due to social legacies and a deficient outlook. For the symbolic status of the work. Dr. Saeed Al-Hussein Abdali, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Sultan Qaboos University, said: The College of Arts and Social Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University funded the sociological research titled: “Normative and structural transformations in Omani society and their impact on young people’s perceptions of the future: a field study on a sample of university students seeking work.” Such a study derives its importance and novelty from the fact that it touches the core of the Omani vision towards change and achieving qualitative leaps in various fields, which enhances its economic and social immunity in particular in a highly transformed world, that is, according to what was explained in the “Oman Vision 2040”, and because the process of change cannot be limited to the material aspect only, but rather its cultural aspects must also be investigated, represented here in the standards and values prevailing in Omani society. Thus, we have combined four research elements: youth, work, standards, and values produced by the social structures that make up Omani society. Let us say, in a simplified way, that Omani society, with its structural characteristics, both modern and traditional, has been witnessing the stereotyping of some behaviors, ideas, and perceptions due to the clear interference of traditional structural hegemony, despite it being tamed by the Renaissance Project in two different stages. The first was called the Renaissance of Establishment, led by the founder, Sultan Qaboos – may God rest his soul – while the second It is the renaissance of renewal whose foundations were laid by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq – may God protect and preserve him – and when we say taming, this means the ability to reconcile the standards of modernity and renewal with the constants of Omani society that represent the depth of its identity, and such a matter does not raise a cognitive problem related to the joints of our research; Rather, what we are interested in and trying to unravel is the relationship of Omani youth with some professions in which they refuse to work on the grounds that they are not in line with the values of society. Here the question of legitimacy arises, i.e. the validity of these ideas. Several questions arise for us such as: How did such ideas that accept professions and reject others emerge in Omani society? How was it dealt with? To what extent can such perceptions of work be considered a real impediment to the Renaissance phase? Will Generation Z and future generations, for example, continue to reject some honorable professions just because their predecessors denounced them? He explained that the sociological studies that are concerned with studying development in large part are concerned with focusing on the process of changes taking place in society and examining a number of variables that are an important entry point for understanding the process of renaissance and progress. These factors can be a support for development or an obstacle to it, and what draws attention in this context is that Omani society is characterized by a number of fundamental characteristics that must be taken into consideration. In reading it sociologically, in an effort to understand it and know its development paths and the challenges surrounding them. Such a reading, which we intend to do, although it has a sociological orientation, is of great importance in drawing up development projects. Because it will give a clear vision to the official bodies in the state that deal directly with Omani youth seeking work. Characteristics of Omani society He pointed out that the most important characteristics that characterize Omani society – which gave us the idea of studying the changes occurring in it, especially in the structural and normative dimensions that make up it – are what can be limited to the following: A conservative society in general that still adheres to its Arab-Islamic identity and does not see it as a conflict with its renaissance project, and traditional structures such as religion and customs are still strong. Traditions and the tribe interfere in stereotyping the awareness of individuals, as well as the effectiveness of laws and institutions, which are the product of the renaissance process that took root over 6 decades, in addition to the leadership’s determination to implement its development projects according to a deliberate pace in which all parties that make up Omani society participate, including research centers and all parties concerned with scientific research, that is, according to a participatory vision. The high level of human development has led to an improvement in the quality of life in Omani society, one of whose manifestations is the high percentage of university graduates, which means employment demands, and the state’s keenness to encourage the private sector because of its importance in Developing the national economy and providing incentives for investment and self-employment, and Omanis’ reliance on expatriate workers in various sectors, albeit to varying degrees. This is important in reading the prevailing standards that still shape the perceptions of Omanis, in addition to continuing the deep reforms since His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq – may God protect and preserve him – took over the reins of government in the country, which has become more rational because it included deep structural reforms and urged young people to be partners in the process of renewal through entrepreneurship and investment encouragement. Going beyond oil rentierism, by creating a diversified economy, especially by localizing industries and encouraging foreign investment by offering several incentives. Based on the above and taking into account these characteristics that distinguish Omani society, it is important that we pay attention to the normative and structural transformations in this society, and know their components and the extent of their effects in shaping action, perception, thought and behavior, while linking them to the youth’s understanding of the future. For Omani youth seeking work in general, the job still lies in obtaining a job in the public sector. The state is responsible for this, while the reality of the labor market in the Sultanate of Oman is rich in job resources that provide a better financial return than a job, but it is limited to expatriates, given the aversion of most Omanis to it. Here the role of the prevailing structures and standards in Omani society is highlighted, which created this type of awareness, and even less thinking, and in fact it needs to be reviewed and amended, and “Oman Vision 2040” has alerted to this by emphasizing the creation of a diverse, supportive economy. The efforts of the public sector to advance economic mobility, the benefits of which include creating job opportunities. The Omani youth and promising opportunities. He explained that the Omani youth have tremendous ability in the field of entrepreneurship, and that encouraging entrepreneurship is an essential feature in many developed countries, which has achieved a tremendous increase in their national economy. There is no doubt that there is a clear government interest in this field. The Sultanate of Oman has activated the role of youth and prepared them for the labor market through entrepreneurial programmes, which had an effective role in motivating young people to enter the field of entrepreneurship. It also contributed to soft loans by establishing student companies and communicating the concept of entrepreneurship to university and college students. It also gave room for small and medium enterprises to contribute to the diversification of the Omani economy. Entrepreneurs in the Sultanate of Oman are receiving increasing attention, especially with regard to creating job opportunities, because 43% of the population is between the ages of 15 and 15. And less, which makes the government need to take advantage of the talents and capabilities of these young people and give them the opportunities and support they deserve. Entrepreneurship was mentioned in the Strategic Vision 2040 indirectly; The vision clearly focused on the private sector. Indeed, we noticed several operational sectors in Omani society that are still controlled by expatriates and are not widely accepted by Omanis. In fact, sometimes we do not find any Omani citizens in them, or the demand for them is modest. This is of course due to the factor of values and standards that control the perceptions of individuals and their social activities. Society often sets limits that regulate social status, that is, according to the cultural, social, and symbolic assets that it produces, as explained. Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu: Such a situation does not reflect the true nature of the Omani grassroots personality, which is steeped in its cultural depth and has a great reputation for skilled work and artistry in it, such as castles, forts, shipbuilding, and other crafts. Through the study that we conducted, we noticed that most of the respondents began to accept the idea of work and entrepreneurship, especially in the field study that we conducted in Harat Al-Aqr in the state of Nizwa. All the young people we met in the tourism sector expressed their pride in their work, not caring about the standards that discourage them. I remember here that I deliberately asked one of the workers in a café because it was the first time I had noticed a young Omani working in a café. He answered me with full confidence and firmness: Yes, I am Omani and a graduate of the College of Engineering, and this café is mine and sometimes I want to help the workers. Here we note, in response to what was mentioned, that many professions in Omani society have a lucrative income and are even considered respected arts that reflect taste and art, such as tailoring, mechanics, cosmetic arts, cafés, restaurants, and other crafts. And service professions, and here we ask, for clarification: Which has a higher income: an employee in the government sector, regardless of his job title, or what a professional mechanic earns in Al-Mabilah Industrial City or other areas? Inevitably, the view of inferiority or rejection of such professions grew and was formed in certain circumstances that can be traced back to the period of the advent of oil, the rapid demographic transformation in Omani society from rural to urban, and the rapid growth of the human development index. This indicator is among the best at the regional and international levels (around 0.87). With the formation of the modern state at the beginning of the renaissance established by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos – may God rest his soul – the Sultanate of Oman was in dire need of frameworks and employees in order to run the wheels of the state, and from here the trend to occupying a job position was the dominant trend in society, and with the improvement in the level of income and the recruitment of expatriate labor to work in the rest of the sectors, this view of rejecting some professions and not accepting them was gradually formed. He stressed that the results of the study showed that there is no blatant contradiction between the cultural component Omani and the perceptions and ambitions of young people for work, but most of the participants considered that heritage is a pillar of renaissance and work and cannot be an obstacle, except in those manifestations that have become old and were formed within the framework of successive social structures that worked to stereotype individuals’ awareness of work, and although they still exist, the members of the sample expressed in the general majority their rejection of it, which will lead us to conclude that they accept work according to the new standards based on perseverance, that is, they accept working in jobs that were exclusive to workers. We believe that the Omani youth are more concerned today than ever before in changing their view of work, and here comes the role of the school, the family and the media in order to push forward towards accepting some of the professions that have long been the preserve of expatriate workers. These are in fact honorable professions that preserve one’s dignity in the pursuit of livelihood and cannot in any sense be considered inferior professions. We can notice in Omani society the promising experiences undertaken by Omani youth in entrepreneurship or in Some professions and crafts. Such successes, we believe, must be paid attention to by the media and appreciated to be an example to be emulated. Not to mention that today’s economic policy of the Sultanate of Oman under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq – may God protect and preserve him – is based on giving priority to diversifying the sources of wealth and urging young people to give more, give and innovate in the knowledge society. Such a policy will open wide horizons for job opportunities. This renewal imposes, from a methodological standpoint, the necessity of changing some of the traditional patterns that prevented acceptance. Young people in some professions and adopt modernity standards, especially rationality, planning, innovation and openness.
