Oman rises 5 places in Government AI Readiness Index 2024

Oman is accelerating its national artificial intelligence (AI) agenda, allocating millions of rials to develop AI-powered applications, support research, and improve public sector efficiency, officials said.

The sultanate has invested approximately OMR60m ($156m) in AI between 2021 and 2024 as part of a broader push to position itself as a regional hub for digital innovation, according to Dr Salem bin Humaid Al-Shuaili, director of AI Projects at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology.

A report by the Oman News Agency quoted Al-Shuaili saying the government allocated OMR10m in 2023 and OMR15m in 2024 through its “Artificial Intelligence Economics” initiative to fund AI projects across sectors including agriculture, urban planning, air quality monitoring, drone surveying, and aquaculture.

The efforts are spearheaded by the National Programme for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Digital Technologies, which focuses on localising AI technologies, promoting ethical governance, and driving cross-sector integration.

Trials of AI applications are currently being conducted in controlled environments to evaluate their large-scale feasibility.

Oman also climbed five positions in the 2024 Government AI Readiness Index, ranking 45th globally out of 193 countries, reflecting growing institutional capacity in AI policy and implementation.

Oman GPT to enhance public sector productivity

Among its flagship projects, Oman is developing a national language model —“Oman GPT”— to enhance public sector productivity, and an innovation hub, “Oman Studio”, to connect AI talent with industry needs.

In parallel, the Ministry of Higher Education has launched a Strategic Research Programme to align academic AI research with national priorities.

One project from the National University of Science and Technology is exploring the risks and benefits of generative AI in education.

Oman’s AI drive has already produced tangible results.

The “Engineer it with AI” competition led to the creation of eight generative AI applications, now available on global online marketplaces.

A Fourth Industrial Revolution Centre, the sixth in the Middle East and 22nd globally, is also set to open in Oman in early 2025.

Al-Shuaili said Oman aims to grow AI-related investments by 20 per cent annually and further climb global AI readiness rankings in the years ahead.