Report by Oman News Agency as part of the economic dossier of
the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA).
Oman Accelerates AI Integration Across Economic Sectors
Muscat, 7 May (ONA-FANA) —— The Sultanate of Oman is
implementing a series of executive programs as part of its digital economy
strategy, with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a key focus to enhance
adoption across economic and developmental sectors. Oman aims to localize AI
technologies and govern their applications within a human-centric framework.
In 2024, Oman climbed five places in the Government AI Readiness
Index, ranking 45th globally among 193 countries. The National Program for AI
and Advanced Digital Technologies, centered on three pillars—promoting AI
adoption in economic and developmental sectors, localizing AI technologies, and
governing AI applications—has driven this progress.
The program has achieved significant milestones in advancing
Oman’s digital transformation, including the “Engineer It with AI” competition,
which yielded eight generative AI-based solutions now available in digital
marketplaces.
The Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information
Technology has conducted multiple AI pilot projects in controlled environments
before wider deployment. Notable initiatives include AI-driven agricultural
statistics, smart urban planning, facial recognition systems, air quality
monitoring, smart quantity surveying, drone-based aerial mapping, and smart
fish farming.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and
Innovation launched the Strategic Research Program in Communications and IT
(AI) to support national priorities. A research project titled “Maximizing
Benefits and Mitigating Risks of Generative AI in Education”—submitted by
the National University of Science and Technology—was selected among 32
proposals. The project has made qualitative strides, developing smart models
and analyzing extensive educational data to establish a national framework for
assessing AI’s impact on education, aligning with Oman’s innovation and digital
transformation goals.
Oman is fast-tracking AI integration across economic sectors
through its “AI Economies” initiative, designed to support economic
diversification, build national capabilities, and achieve Oman Vision 2040
objectives. Key government projects under this initiative include:
– The National Virtual Health Center
– Geological data analytics
– An environmental data banks
– The Ayn media platform
– Investment dashboards
– Smart e-portals in Dhofar
– AI-driven training management
– A program supporting promising Omani startups.
Dr. Salim Humaid Al Shuaili, Director of AI and Advanced
Technologies Projects at the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and IT,
revealed that the “AI Economies” initiative allocated approximately RO 10
in 2023 and RO 15 million in 2024 for innovative AI projects.
In a statement to ONA, he emphasized Oman’s ambition to rank
among the top nations in government AI readiness, increase AI-focused startups,
and achieve 20% annual growth in AI investments. The total AI investments in
Oman from 2021 to 2024 reached RO 60 million.
Dr. Al Shuaili highlighted two major national projects:
1. “Oman GPT”– A language model to boost government
efficiency through generative AI.
2. “Oman Studio” AI Hub– Bridging AI enthusiasts,
innovators, and market needs while contributing to GDP through localized AI
applications.
Additionally, Oman is establishing a Fourth Industrial
Revolution (4IR) Center—the sixth in the Middle East and 22nd globally—to
localize AI technologies and leverage global expertise in advanced tech
innovations. The center is set to launch in Q1 2025.
—— Ends/AH
