21 hours ago
Oman targets bigger AI role in economy with new initiatives
Muscat – Oman is taking steps to increase the contribution of the artificial intelligence (AI) sector to its national economy by expanding the number of specialised start-ups and boosting research and investment in the field.
Hassan bin Fida Hussain al Lawati, Head of National Programme for AI and Advanced Digital Technologies at Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT), said the programme benefits economic, development and service sectors, directly impacting citizens' quality of life.
He said the programme aims to increase the number of technology companies specialising in AI by 20% each year. The number of such companies now exceeds 25, up from fewer than ten at the programme's launch last year. Cumulative investments in AI projects have reached about RO60mn over the last four years, with annual investment expected to grow by 20%. Hassan bin Fida Hussain al Lawati
In September 2024, the Council of Ministers approved the National Programme for AI and Advanced Digital Technologies as part of a broader strategy built on three pillars, the first of which is promoting AI adoption in economic and development sectors. The second focuses on localising AI technologies and developing national expertise to position Oman as a technology producer. The third pillar governs AI and digital applications with a human-centred approach to ensure ethical and effective use under flexible laws.
Lawati noted that Oman moved up five places in the Oxford Insight Government AI Readiness Index, ranking 45th globally out of 193 countries in 2024, compared to 50th in 2023. It ranks fifth in the Middle East and North Africa and fourth in the Gulf. Oman aims to join the world's top 30 countries in this field, he added.
He further informed that MTCIT, in partnership with University of Technology and Applied Sciences, launched an initiative called AI Makers to encourage work in the field and reward top researchers, scientific papers and projects in AI.
MTCIT also introduced a competition called 'Engineer it with AI' to support local development in generative AI, enhance national skills and encourage innovation. The contest aims to boost economic returns by helping new start-ups and raising national performance indicators.
In addition, an initiative called Humanising AI has been launched to maintain a balance between technical progress and the human aspect of service delivery, ensuring inclusivity for all groups in society.
