Sohar International Records Over 93 Percent Omanization Rate by End 2018

Reinforcing its commitment to Oman’s socioeconomic development agenda, Sohar International recorded a remarkable milestone with 93.4% Omanization rate by end of 2018; one of the highest within the banking sector. Working in line with government directives in this regard, the Bank recruited 110 Omanis during 2018, with over 30% of them placed in mid to senior levels of management.

Mr Ahmed Al Musalmi, CEO of Sohar International stressed on the organization’s strategy to play a pivotal role in driving the national economy through empowering local talents. He said: “We are an organization that is built on achieving success for individuals, communities and the nation. As much as it gives us immense pride to attract bigger number of talented Omanis as we continue to grow into a world-class leading Omani service company, our strategy in this regard doesn’t stop at increasing the numbers; we go beyond recruiting to ensure sustainable development. We focus on nurturing local talents, building their skills and confidence, and helping them realize their full potential to become winners and positive players not only within the banking sector, but in the overall socioeconomic development of our country.”

During 2018, the Bank delivered over 160 training programs in various disciplines to over 1300 employees, including in-house, external and sponsorships of educational degrees, and covering over 94% of the total workforce in the organization.

Ms Mahira Saleh Al Raisi, AGM and Head of Human Resources, said, “Our commitment to Omanization starts before recruitment, as we target Omani graduates and job seekers in various career and training exhibitions. For our staff, we have a dedicated Learning Center with many initiatives and programs to offer in-house and external training programs. Building a pool of talented Omanis across various levels doesn’t only reflect positively in the bank’s own performance, but also helps to inject more positivity and energy in the overall economy in the long run.”

In line with the bank’s focus, Sohar International recently launched ‘Erteqa'a Plus’, a participant-centred six-month management skills development programme for over 100 of the bank’s staff. Delivered in partnership with Harvard Business Publishing, the initiative employs a blended approach to corporate education, featuring online learning, practical exercises, work-based projects, and critical reflection and discussion sessions to boost the effectiveness of the bank’s future managers in its drive for service excellence.

Complementing its workforce empowerment initiatives, Sohar International also launched ‘Tomohi’ a unique one-year internship program aimed at enhancing the employability of Omani college and university graduates. The program kicked off in mid-2018 offering the first group of interns an extensive on-the-job training and exposure to the work environment. By regularly rotating the intern in different departments and evaluating their performance and progress, the program has already helped them acquire valuable knowledge and skillsets that are considered critical in the job market.

Additionally, Sohar international continuously seeks opportunities to involve college and university students in thought provoking and personal development initiatives. In all editions of ‘Viewpoints – Sohar International’s Chairman’s Forum’, the bank has made sure to engage local students and academics providing them the opportunity to gain insights on key issues along with an outlook into the future, with its impact on overall economic development. 

For general information on Sohar International, please visit www.Soharinternational.com or call 24730000. You can also follow the Bank on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.