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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Oman witnesses strong growth in space sector

Eng Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology noted that the number of jobs in the space sector increased by 100 per cent.
Eng Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology noted that the number of jobs in the space sector increased by 100 per cent.
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MUSCAT, JAN 22


The number of companies in the space sector has increased by 90 per cent, according to Eng Said bin Hamoud al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology.


Speaking at the Ministry’s annual media briefing on Wednesday, Al Maawali noted that the number of jobs in the sector increased by 100 per cent, while the volume of investments grew by 30 per cent.


However, the exact investment inflows were not revealed, but the Sultanate of Oman is understood to have attracted around RO 20 million in space sector investments from 2023-2024 based on figures shared previously by Dr Ali bin Amer al Shaithani, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Communications and Information Technology.


Furthermore, the Minster highlighted the launch of the first rocket from the region’s first spaceport at Duqm earlier this year. “A notable achievement this year was the launch of the first Duqm-1 rocket. [NASCOM, the company behind the rocket] has received strong support from the government, including the Ministry and our colleagues at the Oman Investment Authority, who are closely collaborating with them to help them grow," Al Maawali said.


Additionally, the Ministry marked a notable milestone by becoming a member of the International Astronautical Federation, an international space advocacy organisation aimed to foster dialogue and knowledge transfer between members.


According to the ministry, the sector’s goals for 2025 include execution of the second phase of the Space Accelerators Programme, which aims to support entrepreneurs and local startups in the sector by providing resources, funding, and guidance to startups and small and medium-sized enterprises.


Also lined up this year is the second phase of the National Capacity Building programme, which aims to build competent space capacities to meet the needs of the sector.


The Ministry unveiled the National Space Policy and Executive Programme in 2023 with the goal of increasing the digital economy's share of the local GDP from 2 per cent presently to 5 per cent by 2030 and 10 per cent by 2040.


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