Tan Sri Omar started work as a Research Officer in the Veterinary Research Institute, Ipoh in 1960 and was promoted to Senior Research Officer in 1966.

• 1972, he was appointed the Founding Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences and the first professor at the newly established Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM), now University Putra Malaysia. He played a major role in the establishment phase of the university. His last position was as Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs. He is now Professor Emeritus of the University.
• 1984, Tan Sri Omar was appointed to the new position of Science Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Department. As Science Advisor, he served on a number of national committees and initiated many programs for enhancing technology management, increasing funding for Research & Development (R&D), and for commercialization of the results of research. He was the founder and chairman of Technology Park Malaysia Corporation (TPM), the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), Composite Technology (Research) Malaysia Sdn Bhd (CTRM), and Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC).
• Tan Sri Omar is the founding and current chairman of the London-based Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management Ltd (CPTM), a Founding Fellow of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences, and a Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), an Honorary Fellow of the Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan. He was a member of the United Nations Advisory Committee on Science and Technology for Development, the Executive Committee for OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, and the UNESCO’s International Scientific Council for Science and Technology Policy Development.
• Tan Sri Omar is the past President of the Federation of Asian Scientific Academies and Societies (FASAS), the past President of The Science Council of Asia, and a former member of the UNESCO Committee on Ethics of Science and Technology (COMEST).

Tan Sri Omar was the Founding President and current Senior Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia. He also is currently a member of the External Advisory Council of MAHSA University and a member of the Council of UCSI University. Tan Sri Omar graduated in

• Veterinary Science from the University of Sydney (1958); obtained a Certificate in Pathology from the University of Queensland (1959) and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge (1966).

In addition, he was awarded the following honorary degrees:

• Hon DVSc (Melbourne, 1985)
• Hon Doctor of the University (Stirling, 1986)
• Hon Doctor of Laws (Guelph, 1989)
• Hon Doctor of Laws (Bristol, 1993)
• Hon DSc (Queensland, 1995)
• Hon DSc (UTM, 1996)
• Hon DSc (UKM, 1998)
• Hon DSc (UPM, 1999)

He has been the Non-Executive Chairman of a number of other listed companies

• Kotra Industries Bhd
• Encorp Bhd
• GreatWorld Plastics Bhd
• Director of OSK Ventures International Bhd
• BCT Technology Bhd