Omani operators prepare for start-up at Sultanate’s first aluminum smelter

PRODUCTION at the Sohar Aluminium smelter, scheduled to produce its first hot metal in mid-2008 at the Sohar Industrial Estate, is fast becoming a reality for its new operational employees.

A further 45 Omani operators recently graduated from a 12-week basic training program at the National Training Institute in Sohar and will now join around 300 Operations colleagues in preparing for the smelter’s start-up.

The training program covered English language, work ethics, health and safety, applied maths, computer familiarity, basic science and basic technical drawing.

A graduation ceremony took place at NTI in Sohar on Sunday 25 November, where the graduates were presented with certificates by Sohar Aluminium’s General Manager – Human Resources, Kalat Al Bulooshi, and congratulated on successfully completing their training.

“We are very proud to be offering these young Omanis the opportunity to have a valuable and rewarding career with a progressive company such as Sohar Aluminium and we extend a wholehearted welcome to them,” Mr Bulooshi said.

“The company is entering a very exciting phase as we begin preparing for start-up and our operating staff will be at the forefront of an industry that is expanding rapidly across the Gulf and the world. It will be a challenging and busy time for us all but I am confident we will meet the challenges head-on and achieve our targets on schedule.”

In total, Sohar Aluminium will employ around 1000 people, with a targeted 35 percent Omanisation rate. It is expected that this number will exceed 65 per cent within the next five years.