National Digital Economy Program
A digital economy as tributary to the national economy
The Sultanate of Oman seeks to develop a prosperous digital economy that contributes to the national economy. National Program for Digital Economy outlines a set of pillar, executive programs and action plans, in addition to medium and long-term targets aligned to Omani Vision 2040 About the Program.
Vision: A digital economy that supports the national economy, strengthens digital sovereignty, and provides sustainable, high-quality opportunities for society.
Message: Empowering society and both the public and private sectors to adopt advanced digital technologies that drive deep economic transformation through smart, integrated, and exportable national projects.
- Developing skills and competencies that are in line with the labor market requirements and future digital demands
- Providing an enabling business environment for companies to adopt modern technologies to support business digitalization
- Achieving smart government transformation programs and providing effective governance mechanisms
- Manufacturing and localizing modern technologies
- Creating a digital society responsive to future requirements
Main Target
- Creating national industries in the digital economy
- Enhancing Digitization In-Country Value
- Creating sustainable income-generating opportunities for youth
- Establishing strategic partnerships with private sector
- Digitizing the economic sectors included in the tenth five-year plan
- Attraction of Foreign Direct Investment in the Digital Economy
Focus Areas in 2021-2025
- Government digital transformation
- Developing digital content
- Attracting foreign digital investment
- Promoting data center and cloud services
- Developing a cyber security industry
- Adopting 4th industrial revolution technologies to advance economic sectors
Strategic Pillars and Foundational Enablers
Building on the Program’s vision and mission, the strategic framework of the National Program for Digital Economy (NPDE) is designed as an integrated ecosystem for advancing the digital economy. It comprises three strategic pillars representing the principal areas of transformation, supported by four foundational enablers that provide the capabilities and conditions required for effective implementation and sustainable impact. Together, these components form an integrated framework for achieving the Program’s strategic objectives.
Strategic Pillars
Digital Society
Building an active and engaged digital society in which individuals possess the digital skills and capabilities needed to interact safely and effectively with modern technologies and participate actively in the digital economy. This strengthens digital inclusion, enhances quality of life, and enables society to adapt confidently and effectively to future change.
Digital Government
Driving a transformative shift in public sector performance through the transition to an agile and proactive digital government model, in which decisions are informed by data and advanced analytics and digital services are delivered efficiently and transparently. This model places beneficiaries at the center, contributing to improved public spending efficiency, enhanced service quality, and more effective decision-making.
Digital Sector and Business
Enabling an advanced and competitive digital business environment that supports growth across economic sectors through the integration of advanced digital technologies into business models, wider adoption of innovation, and attraction of high-value investment. This contributes to increased productivity, stronger national competitiveness, and sustainable economic growth.
Foundational Enablers
Advanced and Secure Digital Infrastructure
Building an active and engaged digital society in which individuals possess the digital skills and capabilities needed to interact safely and effectively with modern technologies and participate actively in the digital economy. This strengthens digital inclusion, enhances quality of life, and enables society to adapt confidently and effectively to future change.
Developing Digital Policies and Governance
Building an effective and agile ecosystem for digital policies and governance that strengthens trust in the digital environment, encourages investment, and promotes the responsible use of technologies. This supports sustainability while maintaining an appropriate balance between innovation and regulation.
Talent Development and Digital Skills Enhancement
Developing competitive national talent, leadership capabilities, and specialized digital skills required to advance the digital economy and lead digital transformation through education, training, and capability development, while keeping pace with rapid technological advancement.
Innovation and Homegrown Digital Industries
Developing homegrown digital industries through innovation and technology localization and transforming knowledge and technological capabilities into economic value. This contributes to strengthening digital sovereignty and diversifying sources of national income.
Strategic Objectives of the Program
The Program primarily aims to transform the digital sector into a leading economic driver and increase its contribution to GDP through:
Achieving an agile, data-driven digital government that delivers proactive digital services.
Building an active and engaged digital society, empowered with digital skills and technologies, and capable of embracing the future.
Enabling an advanced digital business environment through the adoption of advanced technologies and promoting investment to elevate efficiency and competitiveness.
Developing advanced, secure digital infrastructure that is resilient and reliable to drive growth and innovation.
Developing effective and agile digital legislation and governance that strengthen trust and unlock new investment horizons.
Developing specialized and competitive national digital talent capable of leading digital transformation and keeping pace with rapid technological advancement.
Developing leading homegrown digital industries, driven by innovation and technology localization, and contributing to digital sovereignty.
Common FAQ
The National Digital Economy Program is a national framework that oversees the implementation of initiatives and projects contributing to the transition toward a prosperous and sustainable digital economy, in line with the targets of Oman Vision 2040, which was launched in 2021.
The digital economy is the economy that relies on digital technologies in the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, such as e-government services, artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and e-commerce.
The program aims, thru its executive programs, to increase the contribution of the digital economy to the GDP from 2% to 10% by 2040.
The governance of the program's implementation is based on three levels, which are:
- The Financial and Economic Committee emanating from the esteemed Council of Ministers, which is responsible for the overall supervision of the National Digital Economy Program and its alignment with the targets of Oman Vision 2040.
- The Technical Committee for the Digital Economy, whose task is to monitor the progress of programs and overcome obstacles and challenges.
- The executive team for each executive program, which are teams executing initiatives and projects in government entities.
The program focuses on a set of international and national indicators such as the Government AI Readiness Index, the Global Cybersecurity Index, and the Network Readiness Index, among others.
Yes, periodic reports are prepared to highlight the progress made in initiatives and projects, and they are published on the ministry's website and official social media platforms.
The program oversees a number of national initiatives, including initiatives to empower digital skills, the open data initiative, initiatives to support tech startups, and others.
The "Makeen" initiative is one of the initiatives linked to the National Digital Economy Program, stemming from the Executive Program for the Digital Industry. The initiative aims to develop national competencies and enhance their readiness for the digital future thru training and qualification in advanced digital skills. The link
The government digital transformation program is one of the executive programs stemming from the National Digital Economy Program. It focuses on enhancing government efficiency and improving service quality thru the transition to an integrated digital environment that supports innovation, transparency, and the enhancement of institutional performance.
Among the main trends: enhancing innovation in emerging technologies, attracting digital investments, and supporting the establishment of a data-driven economy.
The program works on enabling the use of these technologies in various economic and service sectors, and encourages institutions to adopt them to improve productivity and services.
NDEP Department Contact Info
tpo@mtcit.gov.om
