Report by Oman News Agency (ONA) as part of the economy file of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA)
MUSCAT, May 7 (KUNA) -- Oman is implementing executive programs as part of its digital economy initiative, with artificial intelligence (AI) being at its core, with aim of promoting AI use in economic and development sectors, localize AI technologies and ensure human-centered governance of these applications.
Oman advanced five positions in the Government AI Readiness Index in 2024, ranking 45th globally among 193 countries.
The country adopted the National Program for AI and Advanced Digital Technologies, focusing on three main pillars: promoting and adopting AI in economic and developmental sectors, localizing AI technologies, and governing AI and advanced digital applications with a human-centered vision.
The national program has achieved several milestones that contributed to accelerating digital transformation in Oman. One such achievement includes organizing the "Engineer it with AI" competition, which led to the development of AI-based solutions and applications. Eight applications qualified and were made available on various digital platforms.
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology has carried out several pilot projects to test AI solutions and technologies in limited environments before wider deployment.
These projects aim to assess ideas, support innovation and mitigate risks. Notable experiments include Agricultural census using AI, smart urban planning, facial recognition system, air quality monitoring, smart quantity scanner, aerial surveying using drones and smart aquaculture farms.
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation launched a strategic research program in the telecommunications and IT sector, to support research aligned with national priorities.
Among 32 research proposals, a project called "Maximizing Benefits and Minimizing Risks Associated with Using Generative AI in Education," submitted by the National University of Science and Technology, was selected.
The project achieved qualitative progress, including the development of smart models and extensive educational data analysis. It aims to create a national framework for evaluating the impact of AI in education, supporting the country's push towards innovation and digital transformation.
Oman also seeks to accelerate AI integration across various economic sectors through the "AI Economy" initiative, which supports economic diversification, builds national capacities and contributes to achieving the goals of Oman Vision 2040.
Several innovative government projects have been approved under this initiative, including: national Center for Virtual Health, geological data analysis, environmental Information Bank, global "Ain" Platform, investment Data Dashboard, smart electronic gates in Dhofar, smart management systems, training program management and a program supporting promising Omani companies.
Dr. Salem Al Shuaili, Director of AI and Advanced Technologies Projects Department at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, said some OMR 10 million were allocated for AI Economy projects in 2023, and about OMR 15 million in 2024 to implement several innovative AI projects.
In a statement to the Omani News Agency, he added the sultanate aimed to be among the top countries in the Government AI Readiness Index, increase the number of AI-focused startups, and boost investments in AI technologies by 20 percent annually.
Between 2021 and 2024, AI investments in Oman reached OMR 60 million.
Regarding ongoing AI projects, he explained that the Ministry was currently working on a national project to develop a local language model called "Oman GPT," aimed at enhancing the efficiency of government entities through generative AI.
The ministry is also developing the "Oman Studio," designed to bridge the gap between AI enthusiasts, innovators and market needs, contributing to Oman's GDP through AI innovations and localized applications across sectors.
He said a Fourth Industrial Revolution Center was being established in Oman to localize AI technologies and leverage global expertise in developing advanced technology projects.
This center will be the sixth of its kind in the Middle East and the 22nd globally. (end) eng