Press Release

Press Release

First Specialized Automotive Higher Institute in Oman launched

Wednesday, 1 July 2015, Muscat – National Automotive Higher Institute (NAHI), the first specialised automotive higher institute in the country, was launched on Tuesday. The institute will provide hands-on training and academics in multiple automotive specialisations to empower skilled Omani talent for employment in the automotive sector.

NAHI was launched by NAHI Chairman, Maqbool Ali Sultan at the Grand Hurmoz Hotel, in the presence of members from Royal Court Affairs, the Ministry of Manpower and Oman's leading car dealerships.

Maqbool Ali Sultan, NAHI's Chairman, stated during the opening, "NAHI was founded by Royal Court Affairs and seven leading dealerships in the Sultanate as an educational and training institute aimed at empowering the national workforce in various automotive specialisations. As a response to the growing economic prospects available to Omanis in the automotive sector, NAHI was created to fulfill the market's demand for training opportunities in this particular field."

NAHI will admit 390 students in the first batch of its graduating class by September 2015. The institute is internationally certified and accredited by the Institute for Motor Industries (IMI), Pearson (BTEC) and the Ministry of Manpower. NAHI also officiated a partnership with GUtech during a signing at the launch. The partnership with GUtech will assist in designing NAHI's curriculum, programme evaluations and assisting in recruiting trainees. Students will also have the opportunity to complete their higher education at GUtech upon graduating from NAHI.

Maqbool added, "The number of employees currently in the automotive sector is more than 50 thousand employees spread among all the companies and their entities across varying designations. However, Omanis cover less than 30 percent of that total amount." Through identifying the gap in the local market for specialized Omani technicians, the leading car dealerships in the Sultanate have come together to create this institute to meet this demand and creating job opportunities for prospective youth. The institute aims to allow trainees to build their careers in the automotive sector and sustain constant growth in the field.

Mohammed Abdallah Al Kharusi, Group Director- Business Development at Mohsin Haider Darwish and a NAHI board member, said, "NAHI can prove to be a haven of opportunities for both employers and job seekers. The programmes offered by NAHI include both coursework and hands-on automotive training to equip trainees with all theoretical and practical aspects of this field. NAHI can prepare Omani youth for a variety of jobs that are required by the fast growing automotive industry of Oman."

NAHI is unique in its varying learning-based courses; the institute offers an advanced diploma, competency-based training and short courses. Moreover, NAHI provides students with key specialisations in a number of primary fields in the automotive industry, including: Light and Heavy Vehicle Services and Maintenance, Vehicle Body Repair, Vehicle Painting, Sales, Parts Management and Customer Service. Hani Al Zubair, vice chairman of NAHI, said, "This is the first step towards an integrated training institute for all disciplines within the automotive sector. I strongly encourage the Omani youth to take advantage of this opportunity to learn a skill that will start them on a rewarding career path."

Mohammed Saud Bahwan, Chairman of Bahwan Group, stated, "NAHI is a unique joint initiative by the founding members to develop professional training based on international practices. The graduates will be met with excellent job opportunities and career prospects in the automotive sector upon successfully completing their training." Atul Dhagat, NAHI board of director, Bahwan International Holding Group LLC, added, "In line with the group's commitment to develop a strong pool of competent national workforce, NAHI will continue to develop future leaders who would be ready to take on the challenges of the automotive industry."

Registration for classes will be open from July to August. The institute's first semester of classes is set to start on the September 2015.