Oman’s digital economy hits RO3bn; 11th Plan targets 4% growth

2026-03-03 - 17:47

Muscat – Oman’s digital economy activities reached an estimated RO3bn between 2021 and 2024, reflecting the sector’s expansion as the sultanate advances its diversification agenda. The figures were presented during the second Ramadan evening organised by Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which reviewed priorities under the 11th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030). The event was held under the patronage of H E Sayyid Ibrahim bin Said Al Busaidi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, and attended by senior officials. H E Dr Ali bin Amer Al Shidhani, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, said progress under the National Programme for Digital Economy reached 96% in 2025. Domestic and foreign investments in the digital economy totalled around RO1.2bn between 2021 and 2024, contributing to overall sector activity of RO3bn. In 2024 alone, digital economy activities were valued at approximately RO800mn, up 3.4% compared to 2023. Digital government services also expanded. More than 2,000 services were digitised between 2021 and 2025. In 2025, over 48mn digital transactions were recorded, marking a 78% increase on 2024. Employment indicators showed that 1,289 Omanis were recruited in 2025 across 33 ICT professions, while around 5,000 jobs have been created since the programme’s launch in 2021. H E Al Shidhani said Oman was classified in the first global category of the Digital Government Maturity Index issued by the World Bank for 2025. The sector attracted foreign investment in cloud data centres, cryptocurrency mining, semiconductor design and cybersecurity. The number of technology start-ups exceeded 200. In the space sector, the workforce surpassed 400 employees, three times higher than in 2023, while the number of companies rose to 25, representing 150% growth. Five new national cybersecurity firms were established. The semiconductor industry expanded to four operating companies, with investments exceeding RO50mn. The sector trained more than 200 individuals and employed over 100 specialists. H E Dr Nasser bin Rashid Al Maawali, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Economy, said the 11th Five-Year Plan aims to boost private sector participation in GDP and job creation. The plan targets average real GDP growth of around 4%, raising the private sector’s contribution to 56% of GDP at current prices. Private investment is projected to account for 21% of GDP, while foreign direct investment inflows are expected to reach 11%. The strategy also aims to create around 300,000 direct jobs for Omanis over the plan period, averaging 60,000 annually.