In his opening remarks, Eng. Badar bin Ali Al Salhi, Director General of the National Center for Information Safety and Chairman of the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, emphasized that the launch of the forum reflects the Ministry’s commitment to advancing the digital economy in line with the Royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik – may Allah protect him. He noted that digitization and innovation are vital enablers of sustainable development and that the Cybersecurity Industry Executive Program serves as one of the core pillars of the National Digital Economy Program. It plays a pivotal role in strengthening digital infrastructure, fostering trust, enabling safe and sustainable growth, and positioning the country as an attractive destination for both local and international investment.

Al Salhi explained that the forum focuses on three central themes: investing in a robust national cybersecurity industry, aligning with the highest global standards in solutions and services, and enhancing cooperation between the public and private sectors. He highlighted that the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies has greatly accelerated the industry’s growth, with global spending on Artificial Intelligence in cybersecurity surpassing USD 25 billion and projected to exceed USD 60 billion by 2028. Cybersecurity applications in cloud computing have reached more than USD 14 billion and are expected to rise to USD 18 billion by 2034, while blockchain-related cybersecurity is valued at USD 2.5 billion with an annual growth rate of over 28%.

The Hadatha Program has already delivered notable outcomes, including advancement into the first-tier category of the Global Cybersecurity Index issued by the International Telecommunication Union. It also oversaw the establishment of two cybersecurity industry centers at Sultan Qaboos University and the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, the launch of the world’s first Cybersecurity Industry Monitoring Center, the creation of five new cybersecurity companies, the development of 17 locally designed solutions, the identification of six investment opportunities, the accreditation of 11 local companies, and the international certification of three firms to provide services that meet global standards.

During the forum, the initial version of the website for the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution was launched, established in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, the Ministry of Economy, and the World Economic Forum. It also marked the official rollout of the “Thiqa” National Digital Trust Project, which delivers a suite of digital trust services including digital identity, e-signatures, and digital seals, thereby enabling secure and reliable digital transformation.

The event featured the signing of several strategic agreements, most notably with CREST, the global non-profit organization, to accelerate the maturity of cybersecurity companies. The program will enhance national cyber capabilities by providing training opportunities and internationally recognized certifications. Another agreement was signed with Middle East College to establish a Hadatha Cybersecurity Center as part of a nationwide initiative to empower industry, innovators, academics, and investors to unlock new economic opportunities in the cybersecurity sector.

The Hadatha Excellence in Cybersecurity Industry Awards were also presented during the forum. Government sector winners included the Investment Authority, the Ministry of Labour, the Authority for Public Procurement and Local Content, and Muscat Municipality. In the private sector, Dream Lab was recognized for its DMARCom email security system, while BugBounty Oman received the SME award for its vulnerability rewards platform. Middle East College was honored in the academic category for its hackathons and innovation challenges, while in the individual category, Ms. Shouq bint Amer Al Mashani was awarded for the Point Guard Cybersecurity Initiative, and Mr. Suleiman bin Salem Al Salhi for the Tech Pioneers Initiative.

International partners and local companies were also acknowledged, including Al Diyar Company, the implementing partner of the Thiqa Digital Trust Project, and CREST, for their contributions to the CREST CAMP program. Al Tabsir for Information Security, Digital Data Company, and Tatweer Cybersecurity also received international accreditation to provide advanced cybersecurity services.

The forum concluded with a series of panel discussions exploring investment opportunities in the cybersecurity sector, challenges facing national companies, and a high-level roundtable that brought together investors and decision-makers to chart the future of cybersecurity as a fast-growing economic sector. The discussions reaffirmed the country’s position as an emerging regional hub for the cybersecurity industry.