Oman reports major strides in implementing Tenth Five-Year development plan
Muscat: The Ministry of Economy has reported significant progress in implementing the Tenth Five-Year Development Plan (2021–2025), which aligns with Oman Vision 2040. Notably, development project funding has surged to OMR 11 billion, up 72% from the initial OMR 6.4 billion. This growth follows the completion and launch of numerous infrastructure and economic diversification initiatives across various service and social sectors.
These efforts are supporting the Vision 2040 goals of comprehensive, balanced development by upgrading public services, improving infrastructure, and boosting investment in all governorates. According to the Ministry, 95% of the plan's 412 strategic programs are already underway, spanning 14 national priorities and covering all four pillars of the vision.
A breakdown of program progress and objectives includes:
- Youth Sector: All 3 programs implemented, focused on sector governance, youth engagement, and skill development.
- Health Priority: All 6 programs in motion—building hospitals, enhancing health coverage, and implementing digital transformation.
- Education and Scientific Capacity: 65 of 70 programs active, including capacity building, governance reforms, career guidance, and innovation promotion.
- Citizenship, Heritage, and Culture: 43 of 45 programs launched, such as tourism data systems, national talent training, and international cultural events.
- Social Welfare: 25 of 26 programs operational, with housing support, disability-inclusive festivals, sports promotion, and social insurance sustainability efforts.
Under the Economy and Development pillar, 152 programs are underway, with 98% already being implemented. These include:
- Advanced urban services, community organisation roles in housing, land development for investment, and decentralised economic management.
- All 17 programs targeting the private sector, investment, and international cooperation are live—featuring loan guarantees, SME growth programs, and cost optimization in oil and gas.
The ICT priority has activated all 20 programs, encompassing the national digital economy strategy, smart city networks, cyber awareness campaigns, and digital upskilling programs. The flagship initiative 'Makeen' has trained over 8,200 Omanis through 126 sessions and set the groundwork for Oman's future tech talent hubs.
Under the Economic Leadership and Management Priority, all six associated programs are currently being implemented. These include developing a more advanced and efficient public finance management system, establishing a national registry for government assets, creating an empowered and effective body responsible for coordinating economic decisions and preparing a national policy guide, and updating economic legislation to stimulate activity and enhance competitiveness.
Additionally, 60 out of 62 programs under the Economic Diversification and Financial Sustainability Priority have entered the implementation phase. They include initiatives such as empowering startups in Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, expanding national data center and government cloud services, strengthening innovation and operational efficiency in public institutions, unified global software licensing management, reviewing government service fees, monitoring the performance and competitiveness of the logistics sector, and maximizing local value in transport, communications, and IT projects.
Other notable initiatives include support for national industries and Omani products, modernization of financial legislation in the mining sector, updating the Mineral Resources Law, promoting investment in mining, developing a digital mining platform, enhancing local company and SME participation in the energy and mining sectors, and advancing digital transformation in government services.
As for the Labor Market and Employment Priority, 17 out of 18 programs are active. These focus on drafting the National Employment Strategy, improving labor policies and legislation, implementing an effective nationalization (Omanization) mechanism, rolling out replacement-linked training initiatives, offering specialized entrepreneurship programs in cooperation with relevant agencies, and cultivating a culture of empowerment for national talent in the energy and mining sectors.
Under the Sustainable Environment pillar, a total of 56 programs have been outlined, with 95% (53 programs) already in implementation. These include key initiatives such as updating environmental policies and legislation, sustainable biodiversity management, a national strategy for chemical and agricultural soil conditioner management, regulation of pesticides and fertilizers, enhancement of palm productivity, the establishment of a national environmental monitoring and control system, development of a national environmental information system to support decision-making, and programs to support fishing vessels and equipment.
In the Governance and Institutional Performance pillar, 54 programs are aligned with its priorities. As of Q1 2025, 87% are in execution. Notably, 13 out of 14 programs in the legislative, judicial, and oversight areas have been launched—covering anti-corruption, public fund protection, oversight capacity-building, governance of national resources and projects, and improving civil aviation security in line with international standards.
Within the Public Administration Governance Priority, 34 out of 40 programs are active. These include ensuring governmental compliance, evaluating governance in state-owned enterprises, and developing legal, regulatory, and policy frameworks for the telecom and IT sectors. Other ongoing efforts include establishing a national innovation and change management system, an innovation lab for performance improvement, integration of e-government services, performance measurement systems, and upgrading the infrastructure and technical support for national networks.
As for development projects under implementation*during the 2021–2025 plan, notable progress has been made:
- In the infrastructure sector, Phase 1 of Sultan Haitham City is 80% complete, with Phase 2 at 45%. The structural planning for Greater Muscat, Salalah, Nizwa, and Haima stands at 25%.
- Road sector projects show varied completion rates: Khasab–Daba–Lima road at 40%, Adam–Thumrait dualization at 32%, Al-Amirat's Al-Joud Street at 79%, Dhofar's Darbat tunnel at 90%, Sultan Qaboos Street dualization in Salalah at 81%, and various others ranging from 20% to 86%.
In the social services sector, construction of health facilities is progressing strongly: Sultan Qaboos Hospital (Salalah) is 58% complete, Madha Hospital 86%, Suwaiq Hospital 77%, and other facilities such as Wadi Bani Khalid, Samail, Falah, and Namah Hospitals progressing between 3% to 82%. The new Infectious Diseases Lab has reached 91%.
In the education sector, 69 new schools are being built across the Sultanate, with an average completion rate of 50%.
In productive sectors:
- Date palm weevil eradication is at 80%, palm seedling productivity at 95%, desert locust control at 90%, agricultural and fisheries development at 59%, and animal disease surveillance at 95%.
- Fishing port infrastructure upgrades are ongoing, with Daba Port (86%) and Kumzar Port (45%) undergoing improvements. Additionally, data preservation in the oil and gas sector and smart monitoring of mineral output are also underway.
Finally, in the productive services sector, major projects are nearing completion: the Oman Botanical Garden (95%), municipal service improvements in Dhofar tourist areas (95%), coastal development in Shuwaymiyah and Taqah (20%), and multiple urban promenade and tourism marketing initiatives all contributing to enhanced service quality, tourism appeal, and housing aid delivery, with some projects like the housing assistance program achieving 92% completion.
© Muscat Media Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Times of Oman
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