Oman Air has restated its commitment to recruiting Omani pilots by publishing detailed eligibility criteria.
The criteria will be published in the Omani national media and will offer potential candidates straightforward advice on how Oman Air selects its pilots and what will be expected of them.
The move comes following the receipt by Oman Air of hundreds of requests for information about how to apply for a place on the airline’s much-coveted cadet pilot training program. It also supports Oman Air’s robust and proactive policy of recruiting Omani citizens to positions within all areas of its operations, thereby helping to build a vital and sustainable skills base within Oman.
This approach has already seen the highly successful appointment of Omanis to senior management positions, as well as front-line roles, and entry into the cadet pilots training program is seen as the starting point in a long and rewarding career with Oman Air.
The selection criteria for trainee-pilots have been drawn up by the airline’s Flight Operations Department, based on the global developments in the field of pilot training and they reflect international requirements for obtaining commercial pilot’s licenses.
The criteria are framed to cover two types of trainee-pilots: those who are sponsored by the airline under the Cadet-Pilot program (cadet-pilots), and trainee-pilots who are self-sponsored (Ab-Initio Pilots).
Candidates under the first category will must undergo a predetermined assessment process set out by an appointed flying college.
In addition, they must be Omani nationals not exceeding 26 years old and with minimum educational achievements of General Diploma/Secondary School Certificate, including marks of not less than 80 percent in mathematics, physics and English language.
Successful applicants will be enrolled in the Cadet-Pilot Program and will be required to contribute 30 percent of the study cost, with the remaining 70 percent being covered by Oman Air, and the duties and responsibilities of the trainee and Oman Air will be set out in a contract signed by both parties.
Bright careers beckon Omani pilots
Bright careers beckon Omani pilots
First EU–Saudi roundtable on critical raw materials reflects shared policy commitment
RIYADH: The EU–Saudi Arabia Business and Investment Dialogue on Advancing Critical Raw Materials Value Chains, held in Riyadh as part of the Future Minerals Forum, brought together senior policymakers, industry leaders, and investors to advance strategic cooperation across critical raw materials value chains.
Organized under a Team Europe approach by the EU–GCC Cooperation on Green Transition Project, in coordination with the EU Delegation to Saudi Arabia, the European Chamber of Commerce in the Kingdom and in close cooperation with FMF, the dialogue provided a high-level platform to explore European actions under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and ResourceEU alongside the Kingdom’s aspirations for minerals, industrial, and investment priorities.
This is in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and broader regional ambitions across the GCC, MENA, and Africa.
ResourceEU is the EU’s new strategic action plan, launched in late 2025, to secure a reliable supply of critical raw materials like lithium, rare earths, and cobalt, reducing dependency on single suppliers, such as China, by boosting domestic extraction, processing, recycling, stockpiling, and strategic partnerships with resource-rich nations.
The first ever EU–Saudi roundtable on critical raw materials was opened by the bloc’s Ambassador to the Kingdom, Christophe Farnaud, together with Saudi Deputy Minister for Mining Development Turki Al-Babtain, turning policy alignment into concrete cooperation.
Farnaud underlined the central role of international cooperation in the implementation of the EU’s critical raw materials policy framework.
“As the European Union advances the implementation of its Critical Raw Materials policy, international cooperation is indispensable to building secure, diversified, and sustainable value chains. Saudi Arabia is a key partner in this effort. This dialogue reflects our shared commitment to translate policy alignment into concrete business and investment cooperation that supports the green and digital transitions,” said the ambassador.
Discussions focused on strengthening resilient, diversified, and responsible CRM supply chains that are essential to the green and digital transitions.
Participants explored concrete opportunities for EU–Saudi cooperation across the full value chain, including exploration, mining, and processing and refining, as well as recycling, downstream manufacturing, and the mobilization of private investment and sustainable finance, underpinned by high environmental, social, and governance standards.
From the Saudi side, the dialogue was framed as a key contribution to the Kingdom’s industrial transformation and long-term economic diversification agenda under Vision 2030, with a strong focus on responsible resource development and global market integration.
“Developing globally competitive mineral hubs and sustainable value chains is a central pillar of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s industrial transformation. Our engagement with the European Union through this dialogue to strengthen upstream and downstream integration, attract high-quality investment, and advance responsible mining and processing. Enhanced cooperation with the EU, capitalizing on the demand dynamics of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, will be key to delivering long-term value for both sides,” said Al-Babtain.
Valere Moutarlier, deputy director-general for European industry decarbonization, and directorate-general for the internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and SMEs at European Commission, said the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and ResourceEU provided a clear framework to strengthen Europe’s resilience while deepening its cooperation with international partners.
“Cooperation with Saudi Arabia is essential to advancing secure, sustainable, and diversified critical raw materials value chains. Dialogues such as this play a key role in translating policy ambitions into concrete industrial and investment cooperation,” she added.
