Close to 300,000 expats left private sector in pandemic: Minister

Muscat: 300,000 workers in Oman lost their jobs in 2020 and 2021 because of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Dr Saeed Al Saqri, the Minister of Economy.

Of those who lost their jobs, a vast majority, around 292,500 people, were expatriates, the Minister of Economy added during an interview with national broadcaster Oman TV.

“The year 2020 and 2021 are not a measure of the performance of the private sector,” he explained. “The pandemic, low demand, economic downturn and other reasons led to the exit of about 300,000 workers from their jobs. Of them, approximately 7,500 are Omanis.”