Five Years of “Makeen”: More Than 11,000 Trainees, 139 Programmes and a 50% Employment Rate in the Tech Bootcamp Track

Date Published: 27 April 2026

Makeen empowers digital talent in advanced technologies.
Strengthening the competitiveness of Omani capabilities locally and internationally in digital technologies.
Investing in talent does not only create jobs, but builds industries, and these industries reinforce digital sovereignty and support the national economy.

The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology today organised the Makeen Forum under the theme “From Qualification to Impact”, marking five years since the initiative was launched. The forum was held under the patronage of H.E. Dr Mahad bin Said Ba’awain, Minister of Labour, in the presence of H.E. Eng. Said bin Hamood Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology; H.E. Dr Ali bin Amer Al Shidhani, Undersecretary for Communications and Information Technology; as well as a number of partners and officials.

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In his opening remarks, H.E. Dr Ali bin Amer Al Shidhani said that Makeen represents a key pillar in building the digital economy through equipping Omani talent with advanced digital skills and enhancing their competitiveness in the labour market. He noted that investment in human capital contributes to building high-value industries that reinforce digital sovereignty and support the national economy.

He explained that the initiative has contributed to raising Omanisation in the information technology sector to 45.5%, while supporting the employment of 2,790 Omanis and increasing the share of specialised and technical jobs to 69%. In addition, 4,949 Omanis have entered the sector’s professions, reflecting tangible progress in the readiness of national talent.

From Employment to Industry Building

He noted that the impact of Makeen has gone beyond employment to include the development of emerging technology industries. The semiconductor field has witnessed notable growth, with more than 150 Omani engineers and five start-ups. Progress was also highlighted in drones, artificial intelligence and space technologies, alongside strategic projects including OmanSat-1 and the Duqm launch platform.

Future Direction

The next phase will focus on qualifying 10,000 jobseekers over the next five years through Labour Market Readiness and Capacity Building tracks, alongside programmes in AI agents and quantum computing.

Memoranda of Understanding

Three memoranda of understanding were signed, including an MoU for the Oman Coding Competition, an MoU on professional game development cooperation with Unity Technologies represented through its local partner and Al Nahda Institute for Training, and an MoU supporting technology employment with Sohar Bank.

Makeen Achievements

Since its launch, the initiative has recorded more than 27,000 registrations, delivered 139 programmes in over 30 technology fields, trained over 11,000 participants, achieved a 50% employment rate in tech bootcamps, awarded over 2,425 micro-credentials, and engaged more than 12,620 participants in over 14 competitions.