Oman’s economic transition is moving faster than its public economic narrative. The country is pushing towards higher productivity, stronger logistics performance and a larger digital footprint, yet the conversation leans heavily on ceremonies and headline milestones. In a digital age, that imbalance weakens understanding, trust and the talent pipeline.
The direction is measurable. The Oman National Digital Economy Programme aims to raise the digital economy’s contribution to GDP from 2% to 10% by 2040. Future Fund Oman has reported approving 44 projects in its first year, with total project value of about RO 1.2 billion, including foreign capital contributions of RO 885 million. The Ministry of Economy says non-oil sectors’ contribution to GDP at constant prices rose to 73.3% by the end of the third quarter of 2025, up from 72.5% in 2024.
Yet too often we report the “what” without explaining the “how”. That is where a critical layer is missing: the operational voice of business. Oman has real success stories across sectors, but many senior executives remain largely absent from the wider economic conversation, especially on the platforms where younger audiences learn, decide and imitate. This is not a call to turn CEOs into influencers. It is a call for disciplined visibility, where leaders speak plainly about how value is created, what slows delivery, what skills they hire for, and why some results take time.
When credible operators do not speak, the conversation does not stay neutral. Complex trade-offs get reduced to slogans, rumours gain space, and “motivational economics” replaces serious economic literacy. Silence becomes a vacuum, and vacuums get filled by louder voices that are less accountable to facts. The result is a higher cost of reform, because people become less patient when outcomes take time and less confident when the logic is not explained.
To be fair, executive caution in Oman has real reasons. A statement can be clipped, misread, or circulated without context. Listed companies must be careful about anything that could be interpreted as price-sensitive disclosure. Many family businesses also prefer discretion as a matter of culture, choosing stability and reputation over visibility. These constraints deserve respect, but the strategic question remains: what is the cost of leaving the economic narrative to ceremonies, scattered commentary and short-form noise?
Trust is one cost, and it is not abstract. Edelman’s 2025 Trust Barometer found that 61% globally have a moderate or high sense of grievance, defined by a belief that government and business make life harder and serve narrow interests. In such an environment, silence does not protect institutions; it can feed suspicion and oversimplification. Talent is another cost. Young people do not only need inspiration; they need realism about pathways and workplace demands, and they need it from people who run organisations, not second-hand commentary.
Oman does not need louder messaging. It needs safer, better engagement. A voluntary “Executive Visibility Compact” could create a practical middle ground by setting guardrails that make it easier for leaders to engage without compliance or reputational risk. It should favour context-rich formats such as written Q&As and moderated long-form interviews, and it should normalise a simple discipline: speak with a small set of non-sensitive indicators on jobs and skills, productivity, and investment or innovation. Practical media training should be part of it.
The media has a role too. If we want better executive voices, we must offer platforms that reward explanation, not outrage. Economic journalism in a productivity-driven economy cannot treat announcements as endpoints; it must follow outcomes and ask tougher questions without drifting into hostility.
Oman story will be told either way. The only question is whether it will be shaped by operational authority, or by noise.
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