The launch of this center comes within the framework of the executive program for the Cybersecurity Industry “Hadatha,” which aims to promote innovation and an entrepreneurial culture, foster an enabling environment for research and development in cybersecurity, and create income-generating opportunities through an integrated framework that brings together the public and private sectors, innovators, investors, and academic institutions.

Supporting the Technological Innovation Ecosystem

Aziza bint Sultan Al-Rashdiya, Assistant Director General for Cybersecurity Programs at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, stated: “The Ministry firmly believes in the importance of supporting the innovation ecosystem in the field of cybersecurity in the Sultanate of Oman. Innovation today has become a vital necessity in modern societies for the continuous improvement of their key projects and to keep pace with global changes across all areas of life.”

Al-Rashdiya added: “Industry studies indicate that a large percentage of institutions view innovation as a critical factor in enhancing their cybersecurity readiness. Recent reports show that over 80% of global organizations consider developing internal cybersecurity solutions a priority in the next five years, yet less than 40% possess the capability to turn ideas into practical solutions.”

This gap between need and capability highlights the importance of establishing specialized national centers such as the “Hadatha” Center — a platform that stimulates the creation of technological solutions, facilitates the transfer of research from laboratories to markets, and enhances national competitiveness in one of the fastest-growing industries worldwide. She emphasized that the Hadatha Center for Cybersecurity Industry aims to make the Sultanate of Oman a regional leader in innovation and cybersecurity by fostering a specialized national industry focused on developing human capital, encouraging creativity, and promoting excellence.

Strategic Partnership

Al-Rashdiya further explained: “Hadatha Centers aim to foster cooperation and partnership with government institutions, the private sector, industry, and academic institutions in Oman, providing a platform for researchers and innovators to design and implement innovative technologies and solutions in cybersecurity. This will contribute to developing national industries, creating local products and startups in this field, and generating economic opportunities in cybersecurity for Omani society.” She added that the collaboration with Middle East College—the first private higher education institution in Oman to host the Hadatha Center for Cybersecurity Industry—was based on its advanced readiness evaluation, suitable capabilities, and strategic potential to foster an academic environment conducive to cybersecurity innovation. This partnership will strengthen the knowledge-based economy, open new horizons for entrepreneurship, and provide quality opportunities for researchers and innovators.

As part of this vision, cooperation will also extend to the Fourth Industrial Revolution Center in Oman to promote the adoption of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in developing cybersecurity products and solutions, thereby contributing to the growth of the cybersecurity industry and the digital economy.

Cybersecurity Challenges Platform

During the inauguration ceremony, the launch of the “Cybersecurity Challenges Platform” was announced. The platform aims to build a national database of real-world cybersecurity challenges, to study and analyze them according to technical and administrative standards supervised by the National Cybersecurity Center. This initiative will contribute to strengthening the cybersecurity industry and supporting the digital economy.