
Preference modification phase for new academic year registration, admission to begin tomorrow
The results of the initial sorting will be announced on the evening of Tuesday, 19 August, while accepted students will have the opportunity to complete their procedures starting from Tuesday, 19 August until noon on Sunday 24 August.
Ahmed Mohammed Al Azri, Director General of the Higher Education Admission Centre (HEAC) at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, stated that the number of available seats received from government higher education institutions, domestic scholarships, private sector grants for private higher education institutions, and external scholarships and grants from Arab countries for the 2025/2026 academic year has reached 29,252 seats.
Of these, 16,884 seats are in various government higher education institutions, 607 are for external scholarships and grants, while the number of domestic scholarships and grants for study at private universities and colleges in the Sultanate of Oman stands at 11,761.
He added that the preference modification phase is one of the most critical stages of registration, allowing students to finalize their program choices in the system for the initial sorting competition. He noted that the updates this year focus on two main aspects, namely admission procedures and academic programs.
Regarding admission procedures, the center will launch this year a self-funded admission system, regulating student admissions at Sultan Qaboos University on a self-financed basis, in addition to educational specialization programs at private higher education institutions within Oman (Sohar University, Nizwa University, Dhofar University, and the University of Al Sharqiyah).
The center has issued a student guide detailing all information related to this system, coinciding with the preference modification phase. Registration under this system will open after the initial sorting.
Additionally, he noted that updates to the Unified Admission System include the launch of a complaint submission service on the Unified Government Services Portal, reinforcing government efforts to facilitate access to e-services and streamline transactions through a single platform.
As for academic program updates, he pointed out that higher education institutions (scholarship providers) have aligned programs with labour market demands. New domestic scholarship programs for bachelor's degrees include Emergency Medical Services Science, Environmental Management and Practices, and Human Medicine at Dhofar University.
Domestic scholarships have also been introduced for students with learning difficulties to study at private higher education institutions.
Al Azri further added that new external scholarships have been introduced for specializations overseen by the External Scholarships Department at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, such as Healthcare, Health Planning, Health Risk Management, Therapeutic Nutrition, Law, and Actuarial Studies.
He said that the ministry, represented by the Domestic Scholarships Department, has also directed scholarships toward high-demand specializations in the labour market, including Process Engineering, Production Operations, Occupational Health and Safety, Welding, Mining, Renewable Energy, Quality Control Management, Tourism and Hospitality Management, and Legal Assistant Studies. Additionally, new professional diploma scholarships for Air Transport Pilot Licenses have been introduced at the Oman Aviation Academy.
He noted that government higher education institutions have expanded their programs and specializations. The Military Technological College has increased its capacity this year, opening admissions for female students alongside males in various engineering disciplines (bearing in mind that these are not coupled with employment).
The University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) has added a new engineering specialization at its branch in Musandam Governorate. The university has also introduced a an advantage for social security family students, allowing them to apply without allocated seats in engineering programs; upon acceptance, they may choose the nearest branch of the university to their residence.
He explained that the Higher Education Admission Centre had earlier announced the trial sorting results this month, noting some common errors among applicants. Al Azri emphasized that students can avoid these issues, which negatively impact their admission chances—particularly high-achieving students.
The trial sorting results showed that 1,936 students with an 80% grade or higher did not receive a preliminary program offer. 76% of them had listed too few preferences, focusing on highly competitive, limited specializations.
Additionally, 247 students with a 90% grade or higher did not receive a preliminary offer, with 84% of them listing fewer than 30 preferences. This highlights the need for students to include more program options and diversify their choices across institutions and disciplines.
In conclusion, Al Azri urged students to maximize their program selections (meeting admission requirements) and prioritize them by preference to enhance their chances of securing a seat. He also stressed the importance of diversifying choices across institutions and specializations and encouraged following the center's website for updates on registration and admission stages.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Times of Oman
5 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Oman reaffirms commitment to peaceful resolution of all issues, disputes
New York: The Sultanate of Oman has reaffirmed its commitment to the peaceful settlement of all issues and disputes, the uniform application of international law, and the pursuit of justice and peace. This includes implementing the will of the international community, as demonstrated by the 143 member states that voted in favor of granting Palestine full membership in the United Nations, upholding the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and their full collective rights. This was stated during a high-level UN Security Council session titled 'Strengthening International Peace and Security Through Multilateralism and Peaceful Dispute Resolution'. In a speech delivered by Omar bin Said Al Kithiri, Oman's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, the Sultanate of Oman welcomed the convening of this meeting. Oman hopes that the Security Council would renew its steadfast commitment to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, foremost among them the sovereign equality of states and the pursuit of peaceful and legal means to resolve conflicts, while safeguarding collective security to achieve peace and justice for all. Al Kithiri noted that this session takes place as the world witnesses the most horrific scenes of systematic and deliberate killings by Israeli occupation forces against innocent civilians, children, women, and the elderly in the Gaza Strip. These acts, he said, represent a blatant violation of international and humanitarian laws and conventions, compounded by the Security Council's failure to take decisive and stringent measures in line with its responsibilities to protect international peace and security, ensure justice, and safeguard civilians in conflict situations. He added that Oman, through this session, seeks to prioritize the practical implementation of the noble objectives of the UN Charter—protecting international peace and security through negotiation, mediation, and preventive diplomacy—to achieve just, impartial, and depoliticised solutions to the root causes of conflicts. Oman, he affirmed, also backs the Secretary-General's call to adapt peacekeeping operations to evolving realities, with clear objectives and standards to ensure the effectiveness and credibility of these efforts. Al Kithiri emphasised the vital role of the Security Council and the International Court of Justice in upholding the rule of law, deterrence mechanisms, and accountability to restore confidence in the international system and strengthen the legitimacy of multilateral action. Concluding his speech, he called for exploring ways to revitalise the Security Council, making it more inclusive and responsive to contemporary challenges through established legal principles of justice and unwavering foundations of cooperation and consensus among all nations—ensuring peaceful coexistence and shared economic prosperity for all.


Times of Oman
12 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Environment Authority participates in high-level political forum on sustainable development
New York: The Environment Authority on Wednesday took part in the "2025 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development" in New York. The forum was held in New York under the theme "Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for leaving no one behind". The Sultanate of Oman's delegation was led by Dr. Abdullah Ali Al Amri, Chairman of the Environment Authority, who heads the 7th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7). The forum focused on practical, data-driven strategies to bridge implementation gaps, notably amid interconnected global crises, including climate change, inequality and economic instability. In a speech at the forum, Al Amri laid emphasis on the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), scheduled to be held in Nairobi in December 2025. He said that the UNEA-7 constitutes a 'global opportunity to accelerate sustainable, knowledge-based solutions for a resilient planet." Al Amri underscored the need to devise environmental solutions with special focus on the interconnectedness that exists between environmental challenges and public health. He stressed the need to embrace an integrated approach—like "One Health" principle—to effectively address these challenges. He also underlined the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to address environmental issues and espousing circular economy as a key factor to achieve sustainable production and consumption. In this context, he called upon countries to incorporate such solutions into their national policies. Al Amri highlighted the progress made in negotiations on the convention to control plastic pollution. He stressed the need to ratify international agreements to protect marine biodiversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction, in addition to cooperation between the United Nations Environment Assembly and parties tasked with multilateral environmental agreements to ensure effective environmental governance. The speech also undersored the urgent need to reform the global financial structure and provide sustainable and innovative financing mechanisms to support sustainable economic and environmental models. Al Amri pointed out that areas affected by wars and conflicts should be included in efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, as part of measures to support peace and environmental justice. At the conclusion of his speech, Al Amri underlined the importance of dialogue and understanding as the best means of achieving rapprochement at a time the international community is joining hands to ensure a sustainable future for all. On the sidelines of the forum, Al Amri conferred with the President of the United Nations General Assembly. The meeting touched on ways to enhance international environmental action and highlighted the Sultanate of Oman's role in advancing the global agenda on sustainability. Al Amri also held a meeting with the Hungarian Minister of Environment. The meeting discussed bilateral and regional cooperation in the field of environment and sustainable development. The two sides spoke about preparations for the forthcoming seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly. Acting in cooperation with Environment Society of Oman, the Environment Authority also participated in an event on the sidelines of the forum. The event was aimed to enhance the role of youth in climate action and marine environment protection, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 13 on climate action, Goal 14 on Life Below Water and Goal 17 on "Partnerships for the Goals".


Times of Oman
13 hours ago
- Times of Oman
At HM's behest, Sayyid Shihab receives Tunisian and Lebanese Ambassadors
Muscat: At the behest of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs receives, separately, in his office at Al Murtafa'a Camp on Wednesday Azzedine el Tayse, Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia and Albert Samaha, Ambassador of the Lebanese Republic to bid them farewell at the end of their tours of duty. HH Sayyid Shihab expressed his appreciation to the ambassadors for their efforts in strengthening bilateral relations between Oman and their respective countries. He wished them success in their future endeavors and for their countries' peoples further progress and prosperity. For their part, the ambassadors expressed their profound thanks to His Majesty the Sultan, for the support extended to them during their tenure in Oman, which enabled them to carry out their duties. They wished His Majesty continued good health and a long life, and for Oman continued progress and prosperity under His Majesty's wise leadership.