The Ministry of Energy and Minerals convened the inaugural Energy Sector HR Forum, which took place from May 19-20, 2025, at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, under the esteemed patronage of His Excellency Eng. Salim Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals.
Marking a significant advance, this strategic event aims to forge an integrated human resources ecosystem, poised to confront future complexities and lead the imperative transformation in harmony with Oman Vision 2040. The forum gathers a distinguished cadre of executive leaders, professionals, academics, decision-makers, and human resources managers from diverse entities operating within the energy sector. Its timing is particularly salient amidst the swift global changes impacting the energy industry and as the Sultanate of Oman actively pursues its national goals of economic diversification and human capital strengthening.
A Leading Vision Towards Empowerment and Integration
Opening the forum, His Excellency Eng. Salim Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, delivered an address that underscored the profound importance of this gathering. He highlighted its instrumental role in cementing a collaborative work ethos and expanding avenues for collective thought in navigating the burgeoning professional and technical challenges inherent in the energy sector. His Excellency further articulated that empowering the national workforce, refining their proficiencies, and cultivating psychologically supportive work settings are not simply immediate aims, but integral components of a strategic imperative to ensure enduring institutional efficacy and elevate national competitive standing amidst global dynamics. He also exhorted participants to harness this platform for dialogue to critically assess established policies and practices, and to uncover fresh frontiers for public-private sector cooperation, as well as robust integration with academic institutions.
Key Themes
The forum's agenda, guided by the overarching theme 'Strategic Human Resources in the Energy Sector,' meticulously explored four pivotal topics that define the most pressing challenges in the energy industry's professional sphere. These pillars were: cultivating leadership resilience inthe face of economic and technological volatility; expanding Omani employment opportunities through innovative Omanisation programs and the essential synchronization of education with labor market demands; prioritizing professional re-qualification and development to align with the imperatives of the digital future; and fostering psychological well-being alongside a safe work environment to secure workforce productivity and stability.
The inaugural day featured four parallel interactive workshops, skillfully facilitated by subject-matter specialists. These sessions were specifically structured to elicit actionable and implementable concepts, accurately define challenges pertinent to each thematic area, and formulate pragmatic solutions for presentation to decision-makers, thereby facilitating their prospective incorporation into the sector's forthcoming policies.
Balanced Leadership and Academic Dialogue
The dialogue program of the first day was distinguished by a high-level leadership session that brought together Chief Executive Officers from companies across the sector. Discussions revolved around transformations in the labor market, strategies for talent attraction, and future leadership orientations amidst digital and economic challenges.
The second day's agenda opened with a notable academic session, 'Integration of Knowledge and Energy,' drawing participation from the presidents of leading academic institutions, including the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, the German University of Technology, and Sultan Qaboos University. This pivotal session underscored the critical need to synchronize academic curricula with the demands of the labor market and to forge research alliances that champion the sector's strategic imperatives. Building on this, the second day proceeded with knowledge exchange sessions facilitated by certified experts, who comprehensively examined the four thematic pillars from a practical and training standpoint. Participants were duly recognized with official certificates of attendance, affirming the profound impact of their engagement and contributions.
Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding
In a concerted effort to support and advance various vital sectors within the Sultanate of Oman, a series of agreements and memoranda of understanding were formally executed between governmental and private institutions. This collaborative initiative aims to achieve a multitude of developmental and strategic objectives, encompassing: enhancing the capabilities of SMEs in the solar energy domain, fostering talent exchange and bolstering institutional cooperation, supporting strategic partnerships in the provision of human capital services, implementing specialized training programs for technical operators, developing and executing clean energy initiatives, collaborating in vocational training, and establishing a digital platform for monitoring drilling rig and crane contracts within the oil and gas sector, thereby augmenting transparency and operational oversight.
Among these agreements, a Memorandum of Understanding for the 'Ishraq' program was signed between Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Riyada), focusing on enhancing the capabilities of SMEs in solar energy. To foster talent exchange, PDO, Oman LNG, and Sur LNG formalized an MoU concerning talent secondment. A strategic cooperation memorandum was also concluded between PDO and Takatuf for the provision of human capital services. Moreover, Shell Oman and Takatuf Petrofac Oman (TPO) entered into an MoU for a technical operator training program. In the realm of clean energy, a cooperation memorandum was signed between the Oman Energy Association (OPAL) and the Oman Institute for Energy (OIE) for program development and execution. OPAL and TPO Centre also established a cooperation memorandum for vocational training. Concluding these initiatives, the Ministry of Energy and Minerals (MEM) and Rihal Company executed a cooperation memorandum for the development of a digital dashboard to monitor drilling rig and crane contracts within the oil and gas sector.
Outcomes and Recommendations
Beyond its deliberative function, the forum strives to formulate practical and actionable outcomes, which will culminate in recommendations presented to the Ministry of Energy and Minerals for consideration and potential integration into future policies and initiatives. The Human Resources Forum represents a new genesis towards entrenching modern professional foundations that resonate with the Sultanate of Oman's aspirations for building a diversified economy and a resilient, qualified workforce. This event is highly anticipated to serve as the nucleus for a permanent institutional platform, poised to propel professional empowerment, solidify principles of partnership, and cultivate an institutional culture that enhances sustainability and integration within one of the Sultanate's most crucial economic sectors.