MUSCAT : Within the Sultanate today, the information and communications technology (ICT) sector represents the building blocks of a more prosperous and intelligent society. Technology is powering smarter and more competitive industries, which in turn enable robust and sustainable socio-economic growth across all sectors and industries. 

Oman’s government has already identified the ICT sector as a key component of Vision 2040, through which the Sultanate will achieve sustainable economic development. As a result, more of Oman’s sectors are turning to technology as a driver of productivity. In particular, advanced technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence (AI) now play an integral role in building a knowledge-based digital economy.

This in turn creates more jobs within the ICT sector – making the education and development of a strong pool of ICT talent a necessity. Especially amongst the younger generations, skilled and digital-savvy individuals will help to lead Oman’s intelligent society. Just as we need skilled construction workers to pave the country’s infrastructure,  developing a skilled ICT workforce is essential to expanding Oman’s intelligent society.

Oman already has a proud history of higher education, with youth empowerment remaining a cornerstone of the Sultanate’s prosperity and development, as seen in Oman’s target to be among the top 40 countries in the youth development index by 2030. To achieve that, the government has set high expectations for strengthening relations between private industry and academic institutions, which will enable Omani youth to join the local and global labor market with confidence.  

For example, the University of Technology and Applied Sciences is now contributing to the ICT talent ecosystem by partnering with Huawei to provide advanced ICT training. Through such collaborations, our students have been inspired to develop their creativity, skills, and achieve excellence in their concerned areas of education. Such open cooperation also gives us the latest global knowledge and best practices, while bridging the gap between classroom theory and real-world practical skills. By being active in private sector initiatives, we also facilitate connections between international talent, while encouraging local communities to contribute to achieving the national vision for digital transformation. 

Public-private cooperation of this kind is what is needed in order for our society to transition into one that is empowered by technology. Partnerships between governmental organizations, academia, training agencies, and private sector enterprises will promote innovation and growth of the ICT talent ecosystem, enabling us to put the building blocks of the ICT sector to good use in realizing Oman’s national development vision.