Fresh Approach Solutions is making inroads into the Middle East with the launch of a joint venture with Omani recruitment firm MCBS. The office will be located in the Omani capital, Muscat.

With UK offices in Birmingham and London, Fresh Approach provides contract and permanent employment to the defence, rail, civil engineering, space and international project support arenas.

Adrian Mansfield, managing director of Fresh Approach, said: “MCBS had been looking for a UK-based joint venture partner who matched their ideals and plans for some time. More specifically, they were seeking a partner who had a relationship with the international engineering sector as this is something they did not have. Signing up to a joint venture has been the perfect solution to enable us to help meet the country’s interests and needs.”

First year turnover forecasts have been set at £400k. The joint venture partnership will employ an initial team of six staff from Oman and the UK.

Mansfield told Recruiter that the UK team will focus on recruiting Western workers, while MCBS will specialise in Omani candidates.

Like elsewhere in the Middle East, Oman is working towards increasing the number of local nationals in its workforce to a ratio of 80% Omani and 20% expatriate. Mansfield said that Fresh Approach will supply Western expats to the civil engineering, utilities and defence arenas.

Mansfield said: “Most of the Western roles are short term but the skills, knowledge base and technology expertise we offer are currently in short supply in Oman, hence the demand for UK recruits.”