MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman’s digital economy is transforming from a simple ambitious plan into a billion-dollar engine that is infusing the arteries of the GDP, according to Dr Ali bin Amer al Shidani, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Communications and Information Technology,
Speaking at a recent Ramadhan session, he also announced that Oman ranks second in the Gulf, third in the Arab world, and 18th globally among the fastest-growing countries in the digital economy, per the Global Digital Economy Report 2026 issued by the International Data Center Association.
The report's findings indicate significant progress for Oman in several areas of the digital economy, which aim to measure the maturity level of digital economies, thus contributing to strengthening digital transformation and supporting sustainable economic growth.
Dr Al Shidhani noted that Oman aims to increase the digital economy's contribution to GDP from approximately 2% currently to 3% by 2025, reaching 10% by 2040. He affirmed that this percentage is likely to rise further as the digital experience develops and more accurate data becomes available in partnership with the National Centre for Statistics and Information.
He mentioned that the government's focus on the digital economy is embodied in the National Digital Economy Programme, approved by the Council of Ministers, which serves as a parallel programme to Oman Vision 2040. Furthermore, the inclusion of the digital economy as an independent pillar in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan is a significant step, coinciding with the global shift from traditional economies to those based on innovation and advanced technologies.
The Global Digital Economy Report 2026 revealed that the digital economy had a significant economic impact in 2025, and this impact is expected to continue in 2026. Investments in digital technologies such as ICT equipment, software, and databases have emerged as a key driver of global economic growth. The digital economy is projected to grow globally by 9.5% in 2026, a rate more than three times the IMF's GDP growth forecast. Based on these estimates, the digital economy could account for approximately 22% of global GDP in 2026, with a value of around US$28 trillion.
At the local level, digital government services in Oman have witnessed a qualitative leap, with more than 2,000 government services digitized between 2021 and 2025. This translates to 48 million digital transactions in 2025; a 78% increase compared to 2024.
In terms of employment, 1,289 Omanis were employed in IT positions across 33 specific technical professions in 2025, reflecting the growing demand for digital skills in the Omani labor market.
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