MUSCAT: The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology revealed that investments in Oman’s Information Technology sector reached RO 1.2 billion over the past five years. The announcement was made during a press gathering held in Muscat on January 12.

According to Eng Said bin Hamoud al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, around 70 per cent of these investments were driven by direct foreign investment, reflecting growing international confidence in Oman’s digital economy.

Government digital transformation recorded a significant leap in 2025, with overall programme performance rising from 73 per cent at the end of 2024 to 94 per cent by the end of 2025, the Minister said.

Average digital transformation performance across government entities reached 85 per cent in 2025, compared to 77 per cent in 2024. By the end of 2025, 2,869 priority government services were simplified, while 2,277 core services and automated permits were digitised, compared to 1,700 services by the end of 2024.

“Digital services reduced in-person visits to government entities by approximately 25 per cent”, he added.

The Ministry launched the Unified National Portal for Government Services, which currently offers around 36 digital services, bringing government services under a single digital umbrella.

The ‘Thiqah’ digital identity application was also introduced, enabling secure access to e-services and electronic document signing, while the ‘Tajaob’ platform was launched to receive suggestions, complaints and reports, strengthening participatory digital governance.

To support digital skills development, the Ministry launched the Irtiqaa Programme, providing specialised training in digital project management, change management and data analysis.

Employment indicators in the ICT sector also improved, with Omanisation reaching 45.5 per cent in 2025, compared to 38 per cent in 2024, while Omanisation in technical, specialised and leadership roles rose to 69 per cent, up from 63 per cent.

Through the Makeen initiative, more than 11,000 graduates and jobseekers have been trained since launch, including 2,032 beneficiaries in 2025, alongside the approval of 21 freelance ICT activities.

The Ministry continues to support technology startups through initiatives such as the Oman Startup Hub, established as a national digital interface connecting startups with investors, incubators, accelerators and support entities. To date, more than 200 technology startups, 48 incubators and accelerators; and over RO 127 million in funding have been registered.

The National Open Data Portal was also launched to enable access to official government data in open formats, supporting innovation, research and private-sector participation.

In parallel, work is underway to establish a Fourth Industrial Revolution Centre, focused on advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, robotics and big data analytics.

In 2025, Oman recorded progress across several global digital economy indicators, ranking 41st globally in the E-Government Development Index, 50th in the Network Readiness Index and achieving Tier One status in the Global Cybersecurity Index.

The Sultanate of Oman also advanced by 6 per cent in the 2024 E-Government Services Maturity Index issued by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, rose 25 places to rank first in the Arab world and 50th globally in the 2025 Postal Development Index issued by the Universal Postal Union, and ranked first in West Asia and ninth globally in open data for 2024.

As part of efforts to establish a semiconductor and electronic chips industry, the Ministry supported the organisation of the second Global Semiconductor and Electronic Chips Executive Summit, hosted for the second time in Oman. The summit brought together around 140 chief executive officers from international companies specialising in semiconductor design, cooling technologies and equipment, featuring 40 speakers and approximately 25 specialised working papers.

Building on this momentum, the Ministry announced the launch of a National Semiconductor Programme, integrating public and private sector efforts to position Oman within global semiconductor value chains. The programme focuses on enabling research and development, establishing structured workforce localisation pipelines and setting up a Semiconductor Centre of Excellence to support innovation, testing and advanced manufacturing capabilities.

According to the Ministry, a five-year talent development road map has been designed to train and upskill Omani professionals in key areas including chip design, cooling technologies and advanced semiconductor manufacturing, in collaboration with international technology partners. The initiative also aims to position the Sultanate of Oman as a neutral regional platform for semiconductor investment, offering a stable regulatory environment, advanced digital infrastructure and access to regional and global markets.

The Ministry reported continued progress in the space sector, noting that the number of companies operating in the sector reached 25 companies in 2024, while employment exceeded 400 employees in 2025 across both the public and private sectors.

The space sector contributed 0.041 per cent to GDP by the end of 2024, reinforcing its role as an emerging contributor to the national economy.

In 2025, an agreement was signed for the design, manufacture and launch of an Omani satellite, with implementation expected to begin in 2026, aimed at providing sovereign space infrastructure and reducing reliance on leased external capacities.

To support innovation and entrepreneurship, the Ministry launched the Oman Space Accelerator, targeting 10 local startups and continued supporting the Etlaq Spaceport through technical and operational assistance for scheduled missions.

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