Changing immigration policies and its impact on migration in Sultanate of Oman

During last twenty years, increasing proportion of non-nationals to total population in Gulf nations is considered as growing dependency on foreign labor force as well as one of the root causes behind unemployment. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman, U.A.E., Baharain have come up with policy of reserving jobs for their own nationals known as the localization of labor. The present paper attempts to analyze the phenomenon of localization of labor in the context of international migration in Oman. Oman’s development policy includes ‘Omanisation Program’ as an attempt to reduce local unemployment and dependence on foreign labor through various strategies like enhancing socio-economic standards of national population through educational and vocational training and reservation of jobs for nationals. Current localization policies in Gulf countries play a key role in deciding future international migration trend. Due to the new labour policy, expatriates will be welcome in selective areas from selective countries.