Oman‘s tech renaissance is gaining momentum: from 2020 to 2024, the sultanate leapfrogged to fourth place among emerging economies in the world for greenfield ICT infrastructure investment, pulling in a whopping US$1.7 billion. That growth doesn’t just surpass some of the developed economies—it secures Oman’s ambition to be the Gulf’s top tech destination.
Behind the boom is the National Digital Economy Programme, a sweeping initiative blessed by Oman Vision 2040. When the programme began in 2021, less than 2 per cent of GDP was generated by digital projects; today, following a threefold increase in new investments, officials are looking to triple that by the close of the decade. It’s no mean achievement for a country whose first underwater fibre optic cable only went in a decade ago—now Oman smoothly merges with Europe, Africa and Asia, providing high-speed data transmission to foreign investors.
Mexico is the present pack leader at US$5.2 billion of digital FDI, followed by Nigeria and Malaysia; but Oman has surpassed Brazil (US$1.6 billion) and lies in striking range of the top three with a rapid succession of incentives, regulatory reforms and state-of-the-art digital “free zones.” Multi-million-dollar data centres are being constructed at Duqm and Salalah to attract cloud-service behemoths and local startups alike.
And then, in 2024, Muscat did it, unveiling its National Programme for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Digital Technologies—a two-year dash to infuse AI into every aspect of life, from school curricula to public health. Picture children in far-flung classrooms learning data science and Arabic verse, or scientists at a new AI studio developing forecast tools to save crops from future droughts.
Businessmen will be able to create apps that track rainfall, monitor energy usage, or even forecast traffic jams in crowded souks, thanks to the imminent national open data platform. Meanwhile, a specialist AI research centre will incubate local talent, such that Oman’s digital revolution will be led by Omani minds and hands.
Whereas competition for investment in the technology space is globalising, Oman’s formula—quality infrastructure, prudent policies and focus on digital literacy—can be replicated by other emerging economies around the world. With Vision 2040 to guide it, the sultanate is not just surfing the digital tide; it is generating the currents that will propel its economy towards an innovative future of prosperity.
