Exploring evidence concerning Omani and migrant graduates’ employment and employability in the Tourism and Hospitality (T&H) sector in Oman.

This thesis explores the evidence about the employment and employability patterns of Omani and migrant graduates in the Tourism and Hospitality (T&H) sector through the lens of Omanisation policies and perspectives from the demand and supply of labour. Omani government policy seeks to address such social problems as youth unemployment and poverty by diversifying the economy away from being dependent on the oil and gas sector. The objectives of this thesis are to understand why so few Omani graduates are employed in the T&H sector, compared to migrant graduates, and to identify what modifications to Omanisation policy, including changes seen through the lens of gender, that might increase the participation of Omanis both male and female graduates in the T&H sector.

Qualitative methods were adopted for this research project, based on interviews with a broad spectrum of key actors representing both demand and supply sides of the labour market, as well as government policymakers and members of academic staff. The data consisted of in-depth semi-structured interviews and elite interviews, which were analysed thematically (both manually and with NVivo software) to achieve the standard of rigour and validity required. The findings of the study suggest that Omanisation policies should be modified to promote balance between Omani and migrant graduates, as the growing T&H sector creates ample employment without harming the prospects of either category to find suitable positions. Theoretically, investment in Human Capital (HC) in Oman supports the opportunities for Omani and migrant graduates to work in higher-quality jobs and to achieve their social and economic goals.