HSE Manager Salary in Oman: Complete Compensation Guide 2026

HSE Manager Compensation in Oman

Oman offers HSE Managers a professional environment unlike any other in the GCC, shaped by the geological complexity of its oil fields, the extreme remoteness of its interior desert operations, and a national operator—Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)—that has long been recognized for world-class safety standards influenced by its Shell heritage. For HSE professionals seeking technical depth, operational challenge, and a lifestyle that balances competitive compensation with Oman’s renowned quality of life, the Sultanate presents a compelling alternative to the larger but more crowded job markets of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Oman’s oil fields are among the most technically challenging in the world, requiring enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques across mature reservoirs that push the boundaries of production technology—and correspondingly demand HSE Managers who can manage the novel risks associated with thermal injection, polymer flooding, and miscible gas operations alongside traditional upstream hazards.

The HSE profession in Oman benefits from PDO’s institutional culture, which descends directly from Shell’s Goal Zero safety philosophy and its structured approach to HSE management systems. PDO’s HSE Management System (HMS) is one of the most comprehensive in the global oil industry, encompassing occupational safety, process safety, health management, environmental management, and social performance within a single integrated framework. HSE Managers who develop their careers within PDO gain experience with a management system that is recognized and respected by operators and regulators worldwide, providing exceptional career portability.

Salary Overview by Experience Level

HSE Manager salaries in Oman are expressed in Omani Rials (OMR), with 1 OMR equivalent to approximately USD 2.60. The following ranges represent monthly base salaries for 2026 market conditions across PDO, OQ, and other Omani operators and contractors.

Entry-Level HSE Officers (0–4 years): OMR 900–1,400 per month (approximately USD 2,340–3,640). Entry-level HSE professionals in Oman’s oil and gas sector hold the NEBOSH International General Certificate as the recognized minimum qualification. PDO hires entry-level HSE Officers through a competitive recruitment process, placing them at operational sites across its vast concession area that spans over 100,000 square kilometers of Oman’s interior desert. At this level, responsibilities include conducting safety walks at well pads, monitoring drilling rig safety compliance, supporting permit-to-work administration at gathering stations and central processing facilities, and participating in incident investigation teams under the supervision of senior HSE professionals.

Contractor HSE Officers working for companies such as Galfar Engineering, Al Jazeera Services, or Petroleum Development Associates typically start at OMR 800–1,100, while those placed at PDO operations through manpower supply agreements earn OMR 1,000–1,400. The differential reflects PDO’s preference for hiring officers with additional competencies such as IOSH Managing Safely, First Aid at Work, and H2S awareness training (critical given the sour gas content of many Omani crude grades).

Mid-Level HSE Managers (5–10 years): OMR 1,400–2,200 per month (approximately USD 3,640–5,720). Mid-level HSE Managers in Oman have earned the NEBOSH International Diploma and typically hold ISO 45001 Lead Auditor certification. At PDO, mid-level professionals are assigned to specific asset areas—the company’s operations are divided into clusters such as Yibal, Lekhwair, Nimr, Fahud, and Qarn Alam, each with distinct geological characteristics and HSE risk profiles.

PDO’s enhanced oil recovery operations create unique HSE management challenges that distinguish Oman from other GCC markets. The Amal West steamflood project (one of the largest thermal EOR operations in the Middle East), the Marmul polymer flooding operations, and the Qarn Alam miscible gas injection project each present hazards that are rare in conventional oil production: high-pressure steam generation and distribution, chemical handling of polymer solutions, and the management of large-volume gas injection at pressures exceeding 300 bar. HSE Managers with EOR safety experience command premiums of 10–20% over those with only conventional upstream experience.

OQ (formerly Oman Oil Company) provides additional mid-level HSE opportunities across its diversified portfolio, which includes the OQ Refineries (Sohar and Duqm), OQ Gas Networks, OQ Exploration and Production, and OQ8 (the downstream retail brand). The Duqm Refinery, a joint venture between OQ and Kuwait Petroleum International, is Oman’s newest major industrial facility and has created dedicated HSE roles for refinery operations, marine terminal safety, and environmental management of the Duqm Special Economic Zone.

Senior HSE Managers (11–18 years): OMR 2,200–3,200 per month (approximately USD 5,720–8,320). Senior HSE professionals at PDO hold titles such as HSE Team Leader, Corporate HSE Advisor, or HSE Manager (Asset), and are responsible for HSE performance across entire clusters of producing fields or for corporate-level functions such as process safety governance, emergency response management, or environmental sustainability. PDO’s HSE leadership operates within a matrix structure where asset HSE Managers report both to the asset manager and to the corporate HSE function, ensuring that safety remains a line management accountability while maintaining professional HSE governance.

At this level, PDO’s Shell heritage creates distinctive career development opportunities. Senior HSE Managers at PDO participate in Shell’s global HSE network, attending Shell safety leadership forums, contributing to Shell’s HSE technical standards development, and exchanging best practices with Shell operations in the North Sea, Nigeria, Brunei, and other global locations. This exposure to Shell’s global HSE ecosystem is a career asset that is difficult to replicate at non-Shell-affiliated operators.

Oman LNG, which operates two LNG trains at Sur on the eastern coast, employs senior HSE professionals for gas liquefaction safety, marine terminal operations, and environmental management. The company, a joint venture between OQ and international partners including Shell, TotalEnergies, and Korea LNG, offers packages that are competitive with PDO for equivalent experience levels.

Executive HSE Leadership (18+ years): OMR 3,200–4,800 per month (approximately USD 8,320–12,480). HSE Directors and Vice Presidents at PDO and OQ are responsible for enterprise-level HSE strategy, regulatory engagement with the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, the Environment Authority, and the Ministry of Labour, and executive leadership on Oman’s national safety and environmental objectives. PDO’s Managing Director’s HSE Committee, which meets quarterly, is chaired by the company’s most senior leadership and relies on executive HSE professionals to provide performance data, trend analysis, and strategic recommendations.

Total compensation at this level, including base salary, performance bonuses, housing, vehicle, and other benefits, typically exceeds OMR 60,000 annually (approximately USD 156,000). While this is lower in absolute terms than equivalent executive packages in Qatar or the UAE, the combination of Oman’s low cost of living, high quality of life, and PDO’s institutional prestige makes these roles highly attractive to senior professionals.

PDO: Shell Heritage and Safety Excellence

Petroleum Development Oman is a joint venture between the Government of Oman (60%), Shell (34%), TotalEnergies (4%), and Partex (2%). Shell’s 34% shareholding and operational influence mean that PDO operates with safety standards, management systems, and a safety culture that directly reflect Shell’s global practices. For HSE Managers, this creates several unique advantages.

PDO’s HSE Management System (HMS) is based on Shell’s Health, Safety, Security, Environment, and Social Performance (HSSE-SP) control framework. This integrated system covers twelve elements: leadership and accountability, risk management, design and engineering, operations and maintenance, contractor management, emergency preparedness, environmental management, health management, security management, social performance, monitoring and review, and learning from incidents. HSE Managers at PDO are trained and assessed against competency standards derived from this framework, creating a depth of management system understanding that is recognized by employers worldwide.

PDO’s commitment to Goal Zero—the aspiration of zero harm to people, zero harm to the environment, and zero damage to assets—drives investment in HSE resources, training, and technology. PDO has implemented advanced safety technologies including drone-based pipeline inspections, satellite-based flare monitoring, wearable heat stress detection devices for field workers, and predictive analytics for vehicle safety (PDO operates one of the largest vehicle fleets in the Middle East, with road safety being a major HSE focus). HSE Managers who develop proficiency with these digital tools gain skills that are increasingly valued across the global oil and gas industry.

Desert Operations and Remote Field Premiums

Oman’s oil operations are among the most geographically dispersed in the GCC, with PDO’s concession area spanning from the northern mountains near Muscat to the deep desert of the Rub’ al Khali (Empty Quarter) in the south. This geographic spread creates significant logistical challenges and correspondingly generous field premiums for HSE Managers willing to work at remote locations.

PDO’s interior desert operations—at sites such as Nimr, Marmul, Rima, and Amal—are accessible only by desert roads or charter flights from Muscat. Summer temperatures exceed 50°C, sandstorms can halt operations for days, and the nearest hospitals or urban services are hours away. HSE Managers posted to these locations receive remote location allowances of OMR 200–600 per month, reflecting the genuine hardship of desert living. During field rotations (typically 28 days on and 28 days off, or 21/21 schedules), all accommodation, meals, and recreational facilities at field camps are provided by PDO at no cost to the employee.

The Lekhwair and Yibal clusters in the northern interior are somewhat less remote, with road connections to Muscat taking approximately three to four hours. HSE Managers at these locations receive moderate field premiums of OMR 150–400 per month. The Fahud cluster, located in the central interior, falls between the northern and southern extremes in both remoteness and premium levels.

For HSE Managers, desert operations present specific safety challenges that demand specialized competencies. Heat stress management is the dominant occupational health concern, requiring implementation of work-rest cycles, hydration monitoring, and acclimatization programs for new field workers. Desert wildlife hazards (venomous snakes and scorpions), off-road driving safety across sand and gravel terrain, and the management of hydrogen sulfide risks in sour crude operations add further layers of complexity. HSE Managers who demonstrate proficiency in managing these desert-specific risks are valued both within PDO and across the broader GCC market.

Enhanced Oil Recovery Safety: Oman’s Distinctive Specialization

Oman’s mature oil fields require extensive use of enhanced oil recovery techniques to maintain production from reservoirs that have been producing for decades. This creates HSE management challenges that are largely unique in the GCC context and provide a distinctive career development opportunity.

Thermal EOR (Steamflooding): PDO operates major steamflood projects at Amal West and Mukhaizna, where high-pressure steam is generated in massive boiler facilities and injected into reservoirs to reduce crude oil viscosity. HSE risks include steam line integrity, boiler explosion prevention, high-temperature burns, and the environmental management of significant water consumption and produced water disposal.

Polymer Flooding: At Marmul and other southern fields, polymer solutions are injected to improve sweep efficiency. HSE management involves chemical handling of polymer concentrates, injection system integrity, and the environmental impact of polymer residues in produced water.

Miscible Gas Injection: The Qarn Alam GOGD (Gas Oil Gravity Drainage) project involves injecting gas at extremely high pressures to mobilize heavy oil trapped in fractures. HSE challenges include high-pressure gas compression safety, well integrity monitoring under high-injection pressures, and the management of gas breakthrough at producing wells.

Solar EOR (Miraah): PDO’s Miraah project, located at the Amal field, is one of the world’s largest solar thermal facilities used for steam generation. This groundbreaking project represents the intersection of petroleum engineering and renewable energy, and its HSE management involves both traditional steam generation safety and the emerging field of concentrated solar power safety (including mirror array operations, heat transfer fluid handling, and thermal energy storage).

Benefits and Quality of Life

Oman’s reputation as the GCC country offering the best quality of life is well-earned, and this extends to the benefits packages provided by oil and gas employers.

Housing: PDO provides company accommodation at field locations (single-status) and housing allowances of OMR 200–500 per month for employees based in Muscat. Muscat’s rental market is the most affordable among GCC capitals for quality accommodation, with two-bedroom apartments in desirable areas (Qurum, Shatti Al Qurum, Al Mouj, Bousher) costing OMR 250–450 per month.

Transport: PDO provides company vehicles for field-based staff and transport allowances of OMR 80–200 per month for Muscat-based employees. Charter flights between Muscat and interior field camps are provided for rotational staff.

Medical: Comprehensive medical coverage for employees and dependents, with access to both government and private healthcare. PDO maintains medical facilities at major field locations and contracts with premium hospitals in Muscat for specialist care.

Education: Education allowances of OMR 1,500–4,000 per child per year for international schools in Muscat. Oman has high-quality international schools following British, American, Indian, and IB curricula, with fees generally lower than equivalent schools in the UAE or Qatar.

End-of-Service Gratuity: Omani labor law provides for end-of-service gratuity calculated at 15 days’ basic salary per year for the first three years and one month’s salary per year thereafter. PDO’s gratuity terms are among the most generous in Oman, reflecting the company’s Shell-influenced employment practices.

Omanization: The Strongest Nationalization Program

Oman’s Omanization program is among the most aggressively pursued nationalization initiatives in the GCC, and its impact on expatriate HSE careers is more pronounced than in most neighboring countries. PDO, as a partially government-owned entity, has Omanization targets that exceed 80% across its workforce, and the company has invested heavily in developing Omani HSE professionals through university scholarships, NEBOSH certification programs, and structured career development pathways.

For expatriate HSE Managers, the practical impact is significant at all levels. Entry-level and mid-level operational HSE roles are predominantly filled by Omani nationals, with expatriates increasingly limited to highly specialized positions such as process safety consultants, environmental impact assessment specialists, HSE management system auditors, and project-specific HSE managers during major capital projects. Senior leadership roles at PDO are also subject to Omanization pressure, though the company recognizes that certain specialized competencies require international experience that takes time to develop domestically.

The most secure expatriate HSE positions in Oman are those that involve knowledge transfer and capacity building for Omani staff. HSE Managers who can demonstrate not only technical expertise but also the ability to coach, mentor, and develop local colleagues are valued by all Omani employers and are more resilient to Omanization-driven role restructuring. Contract-based HSE positions with specific technical deliverables (such as EOR safety framework development, management system implementation, or emergency response capability building) also remain accessible to expatriates.

Top Employers for HSE Managers in Oman

• Petroleum Development Oman (PDO): The dominant employer operating over 200 producing fields. Shell heritage, Goal Zero culture, and exposure to EOR safety make PDO the premier HSE employer in Oman.
• OQ (formerly Oman Oil Company): Diversified state energy company with operations spanning upstream E&P, refining (Sohar and Duqm), gas networks, and downstream retail. HSE roles across multiple sub-sectors.
• Oman LNG: Operates two LNG trains at Sur. HSE roles focused on gas liquefaction safety, marine terminal operations, and environmental management.
• Duqm Refinery (OQ-KIPIC JV): Oman’s newest refinery in the Duqm Special Economic Zone. Construction-phase and operational HSE roles.
• Sohar Aluminium: Aluminum smelter at Sohar Industrial Port. HSE roles covering smelter safety similar to Alba in Bahrain.

Market Outlook 2026–2028

Oman’s HSE market is stable with moderate growth driven by PDO’s ongoing field development and EOR expansion, the Duqm Refinery ramp-up, and OQ’s diversification into petrochemicals and renewable energy. Oman’s national hydrogen strategy, which envisions the country becoming a major green hydrogen exporter, is creating early-stage demand for HSE professionals who can bridge traditional oil and gas safety with hydrogen production and handling hazards. PDO’s expanding solar EOR operations similarly create hybrid HSE roles at the intersection of petroleum and renewable energy.

Salary growth for HSE Managers in Oman is running at 3–5% annually, consistent with the broader GCC trend outside Qatar. Oman’s combination of technical depth, quality of life, affordable living, and PDO’s institutional prestige makes it an excellent destination for HSE professionals who value career substance over maximum salary, particularly those seeking experience in enhanced oil recovery safety, desert operations management, and Shell-standard HSE management systems that provide strong global career portability.

PDO HSE Grade Structure and Salary Bands

Access PDO’s internal HSE salary bands by staff grade, including base salary ranges for HSE Officers through HSE Directors, field location premium schedules for each operational cluster, and rotation allowance details. Includes OQ group salary benchmarks for refinery and downstream HSE roles across Sohar, Duqm, and Muscat locations.

EOR Safety Specialist Compensation Calculator

Use our interactive tool to calculate total compensation for HSE Managers specializing in enhanced oil recovery safety at PDO. Input your EOR subspecialty (thermal, polymer, miscible gas, solar), field location assignment, and family status to project annual earnings including base salary, field premiums, housing, and end-of-service gratuity accrual.