MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman’s signing of the agreement to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China, fosters cooperation and global governance in the field of artificial intelligence. It also underscores the country’s proactive approach to adopt all aspects of AI technologies, engaging with rapid global developments and advancing its various fields.
Hassan bin Fida al Lawati, Head of the National Programme for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, said that the initial phase of the programme (2021-2025) focused on establishing and building the national infrastructure. The national programme for artificial intelligence is based on several pillars, including promoting and adopting AI in economic and development sectors, localising AI technologies, and governing AI applications and advanced digital technologies with a human-centred vision. He added that several initiatives have been launched by various sectors to encourage the adoption of artificial intelligence applications and advanced digital technologies in the Sultanate of Oman. These initiatives contribute to the advancement of the three targeted pillars of the National Programme for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Digital Technologies, and have been aligned and integrated with the proposed initiatives and projects. He noted that these initiatives will be implemented through government institutions, each depending on its respective area of expertise.
He said that the most prominent achievement of the first phase was launching the pilot version of the National Language Model for Generative Artificial Intelligence (Maeen), the first specialised national model, based on more than 3,000 local datasets with the participation of 60 government institutions. This establishes a national path to enhance the presence of Omani content and knowledge in the era of generative AI. Other achievements included operating the AI Studio as an environment connecting specialists and innovators with institutions and practical challenges, conducting more than 100 consultative sessions and registering more than 200 beneficiaries, contributing to the transition from raising awareness to supporting the development of practical use cases and solutions. Additionally, the Green AI Alliance was launched to support AI development in parallel with environmental preservation, and the Digital Oman Triangle initiative was launched as a global leader in green computing and AI data centres, he said.
Al Lawati explained that the Artificial Intelligence Zone aims to create a specialised environment to incubate and attract technology projects, including those related to artificial intelligence and advanced technologies. It seeks to support innovation and investment and build a knowledge-based digital economy, thereby enhancing the Sultanate of Oman’s position as a regional hub for advanced technologies and supporting the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
He outlined the road map for the second phase (2026-2030) from a more advanced and mature position, building upon the foundation established during the first phase. Based on this, the programme continues its orientation towards building an innovative national system that gradually moves the Sultanate of Oman from adopting and using artificial intelligence technologies to possessing the capabilities necessary to develop, localise, and employ them in producing national economic and knowledge value. He explained that the second phase is based on continuity, expansion, and deepening: continuing the assets and platforms that were launched, expanding the scope of application of artificial intelligence in the government and economic sectors, and deepening the national capabilities necessary to move from use and experimentation to institutional adoption, development, localisation, and maximising impact. — ONA
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