Oman bars expats from certain jobs amid economic downturn

MUSCAT:  Oman announced Sunday it will bar expatriates from certain jobs in an effort to create more employment opportunities for its citizens amid an economic downturn.
In a region that depends heavily on cheap foreign labour, expats in the sultanate make up about 40 percent of the country’s 4.5 million-strong population.
Faced with an economic slump and a sharp drop in oil revenues, Oman and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have stepped up efforts to create jobs for their own citizens.