Muscat: With the aim to enable Omani industries to embrace advanced technology and Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) techniques, the evaluation process targets five factories, with plans to expand to 20 by the end of the year.

Oman’s push towards smart factories has begun with the evaluation of the first phase of the Smart Production Factories Project, an initiative led by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion in collaboration with the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC). This phase focuses on a field audit of participating factories based on the Smart Industry Readiness Index, a matrix that assesses readiness across three pillars and 16 dimensions.

The goal is to enable five factories to adopt 4IR applications and digital transformation, with a long-term vision of converting 30% of Omani factories into smart production facilities by 2026. These evaluations provide a clear picture of each factory’s technological readiness and offer tailored recommendations for development.

A team of experts from GOIC, accredited by the International Center for Industrial Transformation, alongside specialists from the Ministry, is visiting the selected factories. The aim is to guide these factories through the transition to smart technologies, aligning with Oman’s Industrial Strategy 2040. This transformation seeks to enhance the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector by introducing automation, reducing costs, improving efficiency, and creating high-quality, tech-driven jobs.