Oman’s push to build a domestic space sector is poised to open up thousands of new employment opportunities for nationals, with demand expected to span highly specialised engineering roles, data science and mission operations, according to industry leaders at a recent space-focused forum in Muscat.Speaking on the sidelines of the event hosted at the British Embassy in Muscat, Andy Grey, CEO of Exotopic and a space engineer, said job creation will accelerate once the country’s launch and satellite ecosystem becomes fully operational.
He noted that recruitment will prioritise knowledge, technical capability and sector awareness, as space-related work requires specialised skills across the value chain — from launch infrastructure and satellite manufacturing to downstream services such as mapping, navigation and analytics.
The forum, titled ‘From Spaceport to Marketplace: Unlocking Space Sector Opportunities’, featured a keynote by HH Sayyid Azzan bin Qais al Said, founder and CEO of NASCOM and Etlaq Spaceport.Grey said Oman’s long-term space ambitions could generate “thousands of direct and indirect jobs”, covering satellite design, launch vehicle development, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and space law. Roles will range from technicians and operators to propulsion engineers, flight dynamics specialists and AI architects.
Growth areas are also emerging in mission control, ground systems, satellite data analysis and software development. Beyond formal degrees, Grey stressed the need for updated technical training and familiarity with global space technologies to build a future-ready workforce.
Oman’s broader ecosystem is already taking shape through the Oman Space Accelerator, the Oman Space Hub and education programmes at Sultan Qaboos University. International players, including Airbus, are also engaging with the market.
Panellists from the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, the UK Space Agency and private operators said partnerships and local capability-building will be central to ensuring Omanis secure a strong share of future space-sector employment.