Oman has launched the second phase of its National Program for Digital Economy for 2026 to 2030, targeting a RO1.5 billion contribution from the digital economy to gross domestic product.
The program also aims to attract RO300 million in technology investment and create 3,000 direct jobs a year, the Oman News Agency (ONA) reported on Thursday. The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology launched it at a ceremony held under the patronage of Sultan bin Salim Al Habsi, the minister of finance.
The digital economy accounted for 9% of Oman’s GDP, according to a survey conducted this year by the National Centre for Statistics and Information with the ministry. The figure was announced at the ceremony.
The second phase focuses on digitizing strategic economic sectors, e-commerce and electronic payments, digital transformation of small and medium enterprises, and wider use of artificial intelligence.
The ministry also launched a strategic intelligence platform for the program in cooperation with the World Economic Forum. It is designed to track future trends and support policymaking.
Dr. Ali Amer Al Shidhani, undersecretary for communications and information technology at the ministry, said Omanisation in technology activities rose from 33% in 2022 to 46% in 2026. In technology professions, it rose from 50% to 72% over the same period.
More than 5,000 new technology jobs went to Omanis over the past five years, he said.
In its first phase, the program trained more than 170 semiconductor specialists and 800 artificial intelligence specialists, Al Shidhani said. The ministry also supported the creation of 10 local space startups.
