▁( 4 5 % ▁of ▁entire ▁population ) ▁exp atri ates ▁live ▁in ▁O man , ▁most ▁of ▁whom ▁are ▁workers ▁from ▁India , ▁Pakistan , ▁Bang l adesh , ▁Mor oc co , ▁Jordan , ▁and ▁the ▁Philippines . ▁ ▁Since ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁the ▁government ▁has ▁given ▁high ▁priority ▁to ▁education ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁domestic ▁work ▁force , ▁which ▁the ▁government ▁cons iders ▁a ▁vital ▁factor ▁in ▁the ▁country ' s ▁economic ▁and ▁social ▁progress . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁O man ' s ▁first ▁university , ▁Sultan ▁Q ab o os ▁University , ▁opened . ▁Other ▁post ▁secondary ▁institutions ▁include ▁a ▁law ▁school , ▁technical ▁college , ▁bank ing ▁inst itute , ▁teachers ' ▁training ▁college , ▁and ▁health ▁sciences ▁inst itute . ▁Some ▁ 2 0 0 ▁scholar ships ▁are ▁awarded ▁each ▁year ▁for ▁study ▁abroad . ▁ ▁N ine ▁private ▁colleg es ▁exist , ▁providing ▁two - year ▁post ▁secondary ▁diplom as . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁the ▁government ▁has ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁re forms ▁in ▁higher ▁education ▁designed ▁to ▁meet ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁a ▁growing ▁population . ▁Under ▁the ▁reform ed ▁system , ▁four ▁public ▁regional ▁univers ities ▁were ▁created , ▁and ▁in cent ives ▁are ▁provided ▁by ▁the ▁government ▁to ▁promote ▁the ▁upgrad ing ▁of ▁the ▁existing ▁nine ▁private ▁colleg es ▁and ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁other ▁degree - gr ant ing ▁private ▁colleg es . ▁ ▁Population ▁ ▁Census ▁results ▁ ▁UN ▁estimates ▁