MUSCAT, MAY 12
The volume of investment inflows into the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector in Oman is expected to reach $250 million, according to Dr Ali al Shidhani, Under-Secretary of Communications and Information Technology at the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology.
In a recent interview featured in SQU’s Tawasul publication, Dr Al Shidhani revealed that the Ministry is in the process of launching a programme to support AI-enhanced economic activities in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy.
The programme, according to the Under-Secretary, is expected to attract AI investments valued at $250 million and boost the country’s score in the Government AI Readiness Index.
Additionally, he shared that the Ministry is in the process of drafting a national programme to train young people in the field of AI in line with the Royal Directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.
"His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, in an address to the Council of Oman last year, issued a directive to prepare a national programme for AI and empower and train young people to seize the opportunities offered by the ICT sector. Accordingly, the ministry hastened to prepare this programme, which is ready and pending final approval." Dr Al Shidhani also revealed that the Ministry is planning to deploy AI and "smart city technologies" in Sultan Haitham City, following an agreement with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning.
In 2022, the Ministry launched the executive programme for AI and advanced technologies under the umbrella of the National Programme of Digital Economy - a programme aimed at increasing the digital economy’s contribution to the local GDP.
Earlier this year, Ministry officials revealed that the country has attracted $78 million (RO 30 million) worth of investments in the field of Artificial Intelligence due to the growth of startups in the sector.
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