Muscat – The Oman Investment Authority (OIA) is expanding its presence in the semiconductor sector as part of its strategy to invest in priority economic sectors identified under the 11th Five-Year Plan and support the diversification goals of Oman Vision 2040.

Through its information and communications technology investment arm, ITHCA Group, OIA attracted three global technology companies to establish operational centres and offices in the sultanate by the end of 2025, strengthening Oman’s position in advanced technology industries and enabling the localisation of key segments of the semiconductor value chain.

The semiconductor sector is widely regarded as a cornerstone of the digital economy, underpinning advanced communications, artificial intelligence, energy systems and digital transformation worldwide.

The expansion aligns with OIA’s ‘Omani Angle’ investment philosophy, which focuses on attracting advanced technologies to Oman, localising them, transferring knowledge and building a national ecosystem for research and development. The initiative also aims to create high-quality employment opportunities for Omani youth in engineering, technology and innovation while supporting the development of a sustainable knowledge-based economy.

As part of these efforts, OIA — through ITHCA Group — invested RO5mn (US$13mn) in the US-based semiconductor design firm GSME, marking a strategic entry into advanced chip technologies. The investment led to the establishment of a fully integrated semiconductor design centre in Oman.

Semiconductors are critical components used in electronic chips that power most modern devices. GSME specialises in radio frequency (RF) chips, power solutions and outsourced semiconductor manufacturing services.

The partnership has also supported the training of Omani engineers, enabling them to design chips capable of receiving and processing radio signals as well as integrated circuits for power management. A total of 92 Omani graduates completed the company’s training programme, with 67 securing employment in electronic engineering and chip design roles.

The initiative also supported the organisation of the ‘Oman Semiconductor Ecosystem Enablement & Investment Forum’, which brought together around 250 global executives, investors and decision-makers, helping to strengthen Oman’s visibility in the global semiconductor industry.

In another move, OIA invested RO1.93mn (US$5mn) in US-based Lumotive, a company specialising in programmable optics and Light Control Metasurface (LCM) 3D sensing technologies. The investment resulted in the establishment of Lumotive’s branch in Oman and introduced advanced optical control and artificial intelligence technologies to the local market, while creating opportunities for Omani technical professionals.

Further strengthening its focus on next-generation communications technologies, OIA also invested RO7.7mn (US$20mn) in Movandi, a leader in semiconductor solutions, intelligent wireless connectivity and 5G technologies.

The investment supports the development of RF chipsets, beamforming systems and smart antenna technologies that enhance network performance while reducing costs in both urban and remote areas. It also paves the way for establishing a subsidiary in Oman and building an advanced communications design team.

The initiatives fall under the National Development Fund, which manages OIA’s domestic investments and oversees more than 160 holding and subsidiary companies operating across key sectors of the national economy.

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