AI · Technology · Startups · Vision 2040
AI in Oman is an independent newsroom reporting on artificial intelligence, startups, and digital policy for founders, investors, and public-sector teams across the Sultanate — tracking where funding, jobs, and revenue move under Vision 2040.
Technology & AI
RO 1.5M Energy Lab Opens at SQU, With 275 Auditors to Train
Sultan Qaboos University opened its Sustainable Energy Research Centre Laboratory on 18 October 2026. It was co-funded with Oxy Oman and has units for hydrogen, carbon capture and smart grids. The university also renewed a three-year deal with the Oman Net Zero Centre to train 275 energy auditors.
Technology & AI
650 TB in One Khareef: Omantel's Dhofar Network Stress Test
Omantel says its network carried a record 650 TB during Khareef Dhofar 2026, up 25%, with 5G throughput up 24% and roaming users up 45%. Here is what the numbers show, where they come from, and what they leave out.
Technology & AI
20 Cables, 120 Cities: Oman Pitches Its Digital Investment Case
Muscat hosted the ITU Digital Innovation Board and the SAMENA Council's Leaders' AXIS 2026 in the same week. Both carried one message: Oman wants to be "the new geography of digital investment". No deals were signed, so the real test comes next.
Technology & AI
Oman's Tourism Ministry Takes 14 Services Online With Itqan
On 13 October 2026, Oman's Ministry of Heritage and Tourism launched 14 e-services covering adventure tourism, tourism establishments, fine arts groups and caves. It also launched Itqan, an internal platform that links the ministry's strategy to project delivery in real time.
Today's featured story
North Al Batinah's four-day Digital Entrepreneurship Week ended on 18 October. It had more than 350 workshop sign-ups, a hackathon called Raqmi 1 Lab with more than 60 registrants, a plan to train 30 digital awareness leaders in cybersecurity, and a freelance deal with a services app.
By Zaheer Al-Lawati
Omani space communications firm Durri Space has contracted France's Cailabs for three laser-based satellite ground stations across the Sultanate. The stations are targeted to be operational by 2028, and Durri plans to sell downlink capacity to international satellite operators.
By Omar Al-Riyami
Three months after it first denied a breach, the MSX-listed Omani insurer Arabia Falcon told the market on 12 October that data linked to its June cyber incident "appears to have been published". The forensic investigation is still running.
By Dr. Khalid Al-Rashdi
Muscat Municipality has signed the implementation agreement for the Unified Municipal System with an ITHCA Group subsidiary. The deal moves a 2024 tender into delivery: one digital platform for building permits, lease contracts and other municipal permits across Oman's governorates.
By Samir Al-Balushi
Masin AI has launched a platform in Oman that reads construction contracts and project records to flag delays, notice deadlines and claims. It says major Omani contractors already use it on live projects, and its own benchmark cuts an 18-day claim report to two days.
By Ahmed Al-Hinai
Tariq Al Habsi's Zameeli matches Omani SMEs with local freelancers. Its funding so far includes Oman Technology Fund backing, the Sultanate's first equity crowdfunding campaign and, in June 2026, a Shariah-compliant facility from Sharakah. This is the founder story behind the marketplace.
By Zaheer Al-Lawati
The World Intellectual Property Organization's 2026 Global Innovation Index shows Oman holding at 69th globally, with sharp gains in R&D spending and STEM talent offset by its worst-ever score on patents and knowledge outputs.
By Fatma Al-Zahra
PDO graduated 30 Omanis from its Digital Innovation Programme, and SAP is now routing them into its global consultant pipeline with generative AI certifications and a November start date.
By Layla Al-Zadjali
Oman Investment Authority has taken a stake in Spanish rocket builder PLD Space through a $118.6 million joint fund, strengthening ties with a company exploring Duqm's Etlaq Spaceport as a launch site for its Miura 5 rocket.
By Surah Al-Balushi
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