author - oman observer

Imagine you receive a video message on your WhatsApp showing a friend or a close relative doing something embarrassing. The video looks real. The face, voice, and surroundings are familiar. You watch...

Imagine a lawyer who used to spend hours reading contracts, identifying risks and writing legal arguments. Today, this same lawyer just asks AI to review the contract, identify the risks and prepare...

Imagine walking into a restaurant, looking at the menu, and asking the glasses you are wearing, "What do you recommend I eat today?” The glasses read the menu, translate it if necessary, and...

“Tariq, I have been kicked out of WhatsApp. I am not able to communicate to family, friends and even engage with my business affairs?” my friend Hassan complained to me a few days ago, His...

Whenever I travel, whether for business or pleasure, I usually carry two devices: a smartphone to stay connected and a tablet for reading books, writing my weekly articles, watching videos and...

Recently my mom forwarded me a message from her friend that questioned whether the usage of VPN apps in Oman is illegal. For that, I decided to focus this week on answering a few common questions that...

You may be a senior executive working for a board, whether it is professional, academic or community. A professional board provides governance, oversight and strategic direction. An academic board...

Have you ever wondered why do some organizations invest heavily in IT training, yet see very little change in the performance of their employees? My article this week will aim to answer this question...

Last week, my article explored whether social media followers truly define the value of their owners. I argued that follower counts are not an accurate representation of the worth of an individual or...

Many assume or even believe that people with huge social media followings must have it all, i.e., success, influence, happiness, and purpose. The numbers unfortunately create an illusion. If someone...

A few years ago, artificial intelligence (AI) was mostly described as a technology of the future. Today, that future has arrived. AI is no longer just a topic discussed by technology experts but...

A few days ago, my friend Fadhil al Rassady, who is passionate about technology and the latest gadgets, called me to share a new AI-related feature on WhatsApp. It immediately caught my attention. I...

Artificial intelligence is everywhere. Every day we hear about a new AI tool, a breakthrough model or predictions that machines will soon replace humans. But behind the headlines lies a much bigger...

Over a month ago, I wrote an article on whether Oman should ban social media for kids. "Yes" was my answer, and the opinion was that we in Oman should learn from global experiences and implement...

A few months ago, I met for coffee with Anum Kamran and Balqees al Hassani, two of the women who help lead the Knowledge Oman and Tech Oman communities that I founded. I vividly remember that...

As part of my regular engagement with academia, I recently found myself listening to a group of students discussing their future after graduation. The conversation was both encouraging and concerning...

Yesterday, while browsing websites online, a pop-up window suddenly appeared on my screen. At first glance, it looked official. It displayed the logo of the Royal Oman Police (ROP), used formal...

During the Eid gathering, I overheard a conversation between two university students in Muscat. One was busy working on an assignment, while the other was planning a family holiday. The student...

I had an interesting discussion with one of the university students who proudly told me he had just enrolled into a degree that would take four years to complete. He was excited, motivated, and full...

Last week, I sat down over a celebratory dinner with three friends. It was one of those rare evenings where the conversation flowed naturally on topics that included life, technology, culture,...