OSAKA: The Sultanate of Oman has introduced an innovative virtual platform as part of its participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan. Developed by the Omani tech company U-Verse, the platform is seamlessly integrated into Oman’s national pavilion and offers visitors an immersive digital experience that bridges heritage and future aspirations.
According to Ibrahim Bani Araba, Assistant Director General of the Arts Directorate at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and a member of the pavilion's Technical Committee, the virtual platform leverages cutting-edge extended reality and artificial intelligence technologies. Created in collaboration with a group of Omani innovators, the platform reflects the country’s vision for technological advancement and openness to global innovation.
"This is more than a digital showcase — it’s a gateway to Oman’s limitless potential," said Bani Araba in a statement to the Oman News Agency. “It merges our rich cultural legacy with forward-looking innovation, in line with Oman Vision 2040.”
The platform features a wide array of interactive content, allowing users to explore Omani culture through digitized manuscripts, visual and audio arts, and modern representations of Omani theatre and cinema. Notably, it includes a creative blend of Japanese manga and Omani cultural elements — an effort aimed at engaging younger audiences and presenting tradition in a contemporary format.
It also serves as a promotional tool for Oman’s higher education sector and highlights investment opportunities in advanced technologies, underscoring the Sultanate’s strategic focus on building a knowledge-based economy and strengthening global cooperation in research and innovation.
Bani Araba emphasized that the U-Verse platform, developed entirely by Omanis, represents a unifying space that fosters cultural exchange and celebrates innovation and creativity.
Importantly, this virtual initiative is designed to live on beyond the Expo, offering a sustainable and accessible window into Oman’s cultural identity and future ambitions through a dynamic digital environment. — ONA
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