AI in Oman

July 2026 is one of the most active windows for startup support in Oman in recent memory. A major new MTCIT grant just launched, a globally respected AI accelerator has a hard deadline weeks away, and three programs accept applications year-round with no closing date. Here is what every Omani founder should act on now.

This article picks up where our June 2026 startup programs roundup left off. Several programs from that list carry rolling admissions that remain open, but the focus here is what is genuinely actionable in July and August — including two AI programs with concrete near-term deadlines you cannot afford to miss.

🤖 AI Startup Programs

AI-focused programs are listed here if key dates fall in July or August 2026. Start applications early; the best accelerators fill priority slots weeks before their final deadline.

1. Sanabil 500 MENA Seed Accelerator — Fall 2026 Batch

Deadline in August: Final deadline August 9, 2026 | Priority deadline July 19, 2026

This is the most time-sensitive item on the list. Run by 500 Global in partnership with Saudi Arabia's Sanabil Investments, the Fall 2026 batch runs from September 27 to December 16 in Riyadh. Oman is explicitly listed among the 18 eligible MENA countries.

The program is equity-based: 500 Global takes a stake in exchange for the $100K investment. There is also a $35,000 participation fee. For Omani founders willing to spend Q4 in Riyadh, this is one of the highest-credibility seed accelerators accessible from the Gulf. Applying before July 19 improves your chances significantly — priority applicants receive earlier feedback and a longer interview window.

2. OTF Techween — Pre-Seed Program (Rolling)

Run by the Oman Technology Fund, Techween is designed for founders who have a technology concept but need capital and structure to build it out. The program runs two cohorts per year, making a second H2 2026 cohort highly probable.

• Funding: USD $50,000 in exchange for 7% equity
• Duration: 3 months, including co-working space and structured coaching
• Cohort size: 10 startups per batch
• Eligibility: Early-stage teams, minimum 2 members, at least one technical co-founder; founders from Oman, GCC, or broader MENA
• Location: Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), Muscat
• Contact: info@otf.om | +968 2417 2717

OTF does not publish cohort opening dates publicly. Email them now to ask about the next H2 2026 intake window — a July or August opening for a Q3 cohort is consistent with their two-per-year cadence.

3. OTF Wadi Accelerator — Seed-Stage Program (Rolling)

One tier above Techween in the OTF ladder, the Wadi Accelerator targets startups with a working product and early customer traction. According to the OTF website, it has supported around 48 startups now operating across 12 countries.

• Funding: USD $100,000 seed investment
• Duration: 3 months of structured mentorship and training
• Cohort size: 10 startups per batch
• Support: Experienced entrepreneur mentors, follow-on investment potential via OTF Jasoor Ventures, global network access
• Eligibility: Tech startups with demonstrable traction across MENA
• Contact: info@otf.om | +968 2417 2717

🏛 Government Tech Support

4. Sas for Excellence — MTCIT Financing and Wage Support (New)

This is the newest program on the list. As The Arabian Stories reported, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and IT launched Sas for Excellence on June 2, 2026. It combines direct cash financing, wage subsidies, and procurement advantages in a single package — one of the most substantial government support offers available to Omani tech companies.

The criteria are strict: this program is designed for mature, fast-growing Omani tech companies rather than first-year startups. If your company clears the bar, contact MTCIT directly for application procedures — the program launched just weeks ago and active applications should be processable now.

💼 General Startup Programs

5. Future Fund Oman — Startup and SME Investment (Rolling)

Owned by the Oman Investment Authority, Future Fund Oman is the government's primary vehicle for direct startup and SME investment. As Muscat Daily reported on June 7, the fund recently unveiled a new RO 570 million investment package spanning seven strategic sectors. Since its 2024 launch, it has received nearly 1,000 applications and approved 186 projects worth approximately RO 1.7 billion.

• Fund size: RO 2 billion total capital over five years
• Startup allocation: 3% of fund directly to startups; 7% to SMEs
• Focus sectors: Renewable energy, industry and technology, healthcare, tourism, food security
• How to apply: Register an account on the OIA investor portal, then submit the investment opportunities form at futurefund.om
• Status: Applications open year-round via the online platform

6. Oman Development Bank — Startup Loans (Always Open)

For Omani nationals who need straightforward concessional financing rather than equity investment, the Oman Development Bank remains an accessible starting point. According to Oman Business Setup's 2026 guide, the bank has automated its loan platform to enable online applications across all governorates.

• Loan amounts: OMR 5,000 to OMR 1,000,000
• Rates: 2% to 5% per annum; interest-free loans up to RO 15,000 covering 90% of project costs for full-time entrepreneurs
• Eligibility: Omani nationals; priority development sectors
• How to apply: Online via the Oman Development Bank's digital platform
• Timeline: 6 to 12 weeks for credit assessment

7. National Business Centre (NBC) — Business Incubation (Always Open)

Operating under Madayn (PEIE) at Knowledge Oasis Muscat, the National Business Centre is the most accessible entry point for early-stage Omani founders who want infrastructure and mentorship without giving up equity. NBC does not run fixed cohort cycles — applications are assessed on a rolling basis throughout the year.

• Offering: Subsidized office space with furniture and utilities, business development support, mentorship, market access and industry expert connections
• Target: Omani entrepreneurs and early-stage SMEs
• Location: Knowledge Oasis Muscat, near Muscat International Airport
• Contact: Via madayn.om/kom

👀 Watch This Space: Omantel Innovation Labs Cohort 8

Omantel Innovation Labs launched Cohort 7 in April 2026, selecting eight startups across AI, fintech, cybersecurity, health-tech, energy, logistics, and smart solutions. The accelerator operates a joint investment fund with Future Fund Oman, giving cohort companies access to a dual funding pathway. Based on the Cohort 7 timeline — applications closed January 2026 for an April launch — Cohort 8 applications could open in Q3 2026. Monitor omantel.om/en/innovation-labs for the announcement.

🇴🇲 Why This Matters for Oman

Oman's startup support architecture now spans every stage of the founder journey. Pre-seed ideas can go through OTF Techween. Product-stage companies with traction have the Wadi Accelerator and Sanabil 500. Mature tech SMEs can access Sas for Excellence. Growth-phase companies have Future Fund Oman. And anyone needing a workspace to start can walk into the NBC.

The range of commitment also varies: NBC involves no equity, ODB charges modest interest, OTF takes 7%, and Sanabil 500 takes equity plus a $35,000 fee. Founders should match the program to their stage and risk tolerance rather than chasing the largest headline number.

Oman's Vision 2040 goal of diversifying away from hydrocarbons means the government has a structural incentive to keep funding these pipelines. The AI Special Economic Zone established under Royal Decree No. 50/2026 is expected to introduce additional startup programs as it matures. For founders, the window to enter early, before competition intensifies, remains wide open.

In Muscat's fast-growing hospitality sector, a quiet revolution has been underway since 2021. Fascano, an Omani cloud platform built for restaurants, cafés, and hotels, closed a $10 million third funding round in April 2026, backed by the Oman Investment Authority. It is now one of the most well-funded hospitality tech startups to emerge from the Gulf outside Saudi Arabia.

🍽️ What Fascano Does (In Plain English)

Running a restaurant is harder than it looks. Most operators juggle five or six disconnected tools: one for ordering, another for inventory, a third for loyalty cards, and a separate system for the kitchen. Fascano replaces that patchwork with a single cloud platform, built from the ground up for MENA operators.

The company's tagline says it plainly: Fast. Scan. Order. Diners scan a QR code, browse a digital menu, and pay without waiting for a waiter. Behind the scenes, the restaurant gets a real-time view of every order, every inventory item, and every branch, all in one dashboard.

The platform covers:

• Point of Sale (POS) for dine-in and counter service
• Multi-channel online ordering via QR codes, web storefronts, and delivery platform integrations
• Kitchen Display System (KDS) to coordinate back-of-house operations in real time
• Real-time inventory tracking with automated cost analysis
• CRM and loyalty programs so restaurants own their customer data directly, without a third-party middleman
• Analytics dashboards for branch-by-branch performance comparison
• Secure payment processing with local payment gateway integrations across MENA

Target customers span the full hospitality spectrum: full-service restaurants, cafés, food trucks, food courts, hotels, cinemas, event venues, and kiosks. Offline functionality is built in, which matters in areas with unreliable connectivity.

🏆 How Fascano Stacks Up Against Regional Competitors

The MENA hospitality tech market is not empty. Saudi Arabia's Foodics serves more than 22,000 restaurants across 17 countries. Dubai-based Syrve MENA claims 45,000+ F&B clients worldwide. Both have significant head starts in terms of customer count and geographic breadth. So where does Fascano fit?

The sharpest edge is the commission-free ordering model. Delivery aggregators like Talabat and Careem charge restaurants a cut of every order, typically between 15% and 30%. Fascano's direct-ordering channels let restaurants own their customer relationships and retain more revenue per transaction. As CEO Al Kharusi described the philosophy, the goal was to build "a platform that reflects the realities of our market: deeply integrated tools that work together as one ecosystem, with pricing that is accessible for small and mid-sized businesses."

📅 The Journey: From a Muscat Startup to a MENA Contender

Ahmed Al Kharusi and Murak Al Muairki co-founded Fascano in 2021. The timing was deliberate. The global hospitality industry had just been forced to accelerate contactless payments and QR-code menus out of pandemic-era necessity, and MENA operators were actively looking for tools built for their specific context, not adapted from US or European markets.

The founders spent their earliest years building a deep understanding of Omani operator pain points before expanding. That disciplined focus paid off: by November 2024, the Oman Future Fund, backed by the Oman Investment Authority, led a second undisclosed round, signalling institutional confidence in Fascano's retention metrics and product quality.

By April 2026, Fascano had surpassed 70 million orders processed across 2,000+ customers in six countries. Its third and largest round, a $10 million close, brought in Cyfr Capital and HH Sayyid Dr. Kamil bin Fahd Al Said alongside continued OIA support, as Oman Observer reported. A parallel report from Arab Founders described the platform as "designed to eliminate operational friction" for hospitality businesses across MENA.

The 12-to-18-month plan, according to Al Kharusi, prioritises deepening the vendor base in existing markets before entering new regional territories with strong digital demand.

💰 Funding Timeline

🔗 Find Fascano Online

• Website: fascano.com
• Company LinkedIn: Fascano on LinkedIn
• CEO and Co-founder: Ahmed Al Kharusi on LinkedIn
• Co-founder: Murak Al Muairki on LinkedIn

Note: Fascano does not publicly list pricing tiers. Businesses are directed to book a demo for a custom quote. Team headcount and exact tech stack details are not publicly disclosed as of June 2026.

🇴🇲 Why This Matters for Oman

Fascano's story illustrates three things Oman's startup ecosystem is getting right.

First, sovereign capital is now playing a genuine multi-stage role. The Oman Investment Authority's Future Fund has backed Fascano across at least two consecutive rounds, demonstrating patience and conviction rather than a one-time seed cheque. That kind of institutional depth is what Vision 2040's private-sector development agenda is designed to create.

Second, Fascano is building in Oman and expanding outward. Many regional tech startups treat Muscat as a proof-of-concept stop before relocating to Dubai or Riyadh. Al Kharusi is explicit about rejecting that path: Oman remains the central hub for innovation, operations, and talent. That commitment matters for the local ecosystem because every hire Fascano makes, and every supplier it works with, stays in Oman.

Third, the hospitality sector is a direct Vision 2040 priority. Oman's tourism diversification targets are ambitious, and technology that helps hotels and restaurants operate efficiently underpins the whole strategy. Government programs like the Sas for Excellence initiative, which channels RO 1 million into Omani tech firms, exist precisely to back companies at earlier stages of exactly this kind of trajectory.

For founders watching from the sidelines, Fascano is a useful proof of concept: an operational software problem that most people overlook, solved locally, scaled regionally, and now funded by some of the Gulf's most credible institutions.