Oman seeks to become hub for space applications

MUSCAT, FEB 20

The Sultanate of Oman’s newly launched Space Policy & Executive Programme aims to position the country as a destination for downstream space activities and investments, according to Dr Ali bin Amer al Shidhani, Under-Secretary for Communications and Information Technology at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology.

The aim is to support the growth of the space sector, foster innovation and economic diversification, as well as promote cooperation with international partners, he said.

“It also emphasises the importance of investment in human capital and infrastructure to ensure that Oman is well-equipped to meet the demands of the industry and accelerate the Digital Economy,” the official added.

In a conversation with Steve Bochinger, Chief Operating Officer of Euroconsult Group, a leading global strategy consulting firm specialised in the space and satellite sector, Dr Al Shidhani said Oman’s vision for a new space industry is an integral part of a wider national strategy to harness the digital economy to power the country’s economic diversification.

“What we did is we looked at the digital economy sector as one of the enablers of our economic diversification goal,” the under-secretary explained.

“So we developed a national digital economy programme that aspires to lift our digital economy contribution in Oman from its current standing of around 2 per cent of the GDP to 10 per cent by 2040. It consists of several executive programmes that will be rolled out in five-year chunks until 2040. For the current five-years spanning the 2020 – 2025 period, the executive programmes focus on Fintech, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, Digital Government, Digital Trade and Space. These are all interlinked and co-related programmes that together will help us lift the contribution of the digital economy to 10 per cent of GDP.”

Oman’s space policy, the official said, is already helping lay the foundations of a future space industry in the country. Initiatives currently in hand include a strategy to launch the nation’s first satellite in partnership with a number of international players.

In addition, Oman also operates a Remote Sensing Centre for R&D, a Satellite Applications Centre and a space radio monitoring station.

Furthermore, Oman is ideally located to host a launch complex for scientific rockets, according to the official.

“Geographically, Oman enjoys a few advantages, such as its proximity to the equator, clear skies and excellent location (favouring) launch activities,” he pointed out.

Additionally, with more than 20 submarine cables connecting Oman with the wider world, including one direct cable from the Sultanate to Australia, Oman can harness this capability to provide Internet availability and redundancy, he said.

“So we are looking at space data centres to be hosted in Oman as well as take advantage of the richness of the submarine cables (in the country’s proximity),” the under-secretary stressed.

As a proposed hub for downstream space services applications, Oman is also looking to harness space sciences as a vehicle to help accelerate the development of key economic sectors, notably logistics, mining, food security and urban planning, among others, Dr Al Shidhani said.

Other underlying goals behind the development of space sciences and related activities is to encourage young Omanis to explore careers in this emerging industry, as well as harness space technologies to mitigate the effects of climate and natural disasters which regularly menace the country, he stated.

In concluding, Dr Al Shidhani stressed the need for partnerships with international players to help Oman achieve its goal. Opportunities abound for collaboration in downstream space initiatives, including the development of ground station hubs, space observatories, accelerator programmes, and even space-related tourism resorts, he added.