Omani women have wider skies to explore

Omani women have immense opportunities to advance in education, leadership, digital technology and entrepreneurship while remaining rooted in their cultural identity and values, says Dr Azza al Busaidi, Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the University of South Carolina and Assistant Professor and Head of the Marketing and Logistics Unit at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences.
She encouraged young women to move beyond simply using technology and develop the skills to understand, question and shape it, particularly as artificial intelligence, digital marketing and consumer research create new academic and professional opportunities.
“The future should not simply be something we adapt to. It should also be something we help create,” she said.
Al Busaidi said Omani women could play a greater role in shaping how the country's destinations, cultural heritage, organisations and national identity are presented to the world, in line with the ambitions of Oman Vision 2040.
She highlighted the growing intersection of technology, consumer behaviour and sustainability, noting that artificial intelligence could offer new ways to understand consumer emotions, improve digital experiences and encourage responsible engagement with cultural and natural heritage.
She also urged women to pursue their ambitions without feeling compelled to choose between professional and personal identities, emphasising that women could be academics, researchers, leaders, entrepreneurs and mothers without being confined to a single definition of success.
Reflecting on her academic journey, which included studies in Australia and Scotland and a PhD in destination branding, Al Busaidi said her career had not followed an entirely predetermined path. Curiosity, continued learning and the ability to grow through challenges had helped shape her professional development.
As a Fulbright Visiting Scholar, she is pursuing academic engagement in an environment that supports research, collaboration and cultural exchange.
On Omani Women's Day, she described women as a beautiful mosaic, with individual experiences and differences combining to create a richer collective picture. She said the occasion was not only an opportunity to celebrate the progress achieved by Omani women, but also to recognise the opportunities that lie ahead.
“For me, Omani Women's Day is therefore not only a celebration of how far Omani women have come, but also a reminder of how much further we can go.”