Artificial Intelligence Expert Committee

In implementation of the initiatives and projects outlined in the National Program for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Digital Technologies, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology has established the Artificial Intelligence Expert Committee pursuant to Ministerial Decision No. 124/2025. The Committee aims to provide advice and proposals to decision-makers regarding the opportunities and challenges associated with the development and adoption of artificial intelligence technologies in the Sultanate of Oman.

The Committee brings together experts and specialists from government entities, academic institutions, and the private sector to leverage their expertise in examining AI-related matters and to provide recommendations that support the safe and responsible use of AI, while enhancing its contribution to economic and social development.

Functions of the Committee

The Committee is responsible for providing advice and recommendations in the following areas:

•          Developing national policies, plans, and implementation strategies related to artificial intelligence.

•          Proposing necessary amendments and revisions to legislation concerning artificial intelligence applications, to foster a safe and advanced regulatory environment.

•          Examining modern global trends, analyzing their potential impact on the Sultanate of Oman, and identifying opportunities to leverage them.

•          Assessing technical, ethical, and privacy-related challenges and risks, and proposing ways to mitigate them.

•          Proposing guidelines for the ethical use of artificial intelligence that align with national values ​​and international standards, while ensuring transparency and data protection.

•          Advancing education and training in the field of artificial intelligence and proposing initiatives to build national capacity.

•          Proposing national projects and initiatives that support innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic and social development.

•          Prioritizing investment in research and development, and encouraging the adoption of artificial intelligence across both the public and private sectors.

Committee Members

The following table lists the names, affiliations, and capacities of the members, in accordance with the composition set out in Ministerial Decision No. 124/2025:

The Committee's Working Mechanism

The Committee holds periodic quarterly meetings and may convene extraordinary meetings at the request of the Chairperson. It may also enlist the services of experts or temporary members, depending on the nature of the matters under discussion and the need for specific specialized or technical expertise.

Furthermore, the Committee submits an annual report containing its meeting minutes and recommendations. Its term of office is three years from the date of the decision, subject to extension by a subsequent decision as circumstances require.

"AI Explorers" Initiative

"AI Explorers" is an educational and awareness-raising initiative targeting children aged 10 to 15. It aims to introduce them to artificial intelligence concepts in a simplified, interactive manner, requiring no prior technical background. The educational experience spans five days, combining theoretical knowledge with practical activities and applications.

The initiative focuses on fostering an early, informed understanding of AI by introducing participants to how these technologies and machine learning systems operate using data, and by exploring their applications in daily life and creative fields. It also cultivates logical and critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork skills. Furthermore, the initiative emphasizes the safe, responsible, and ethical use of AI, raising children's awareness regarding the importance of verifying information and protecting privacy and personal data.

The initiative employs a "learning-by-doing" and exploration-based methodology. Participants progress from understanding the fundamentals of AI, data, and machine learning to experimenting with creative applications and executing simplified projects. These activities help them transform ideas into practical applications, culminating in the presentation of their projects at the end of the program.

The initiative's goal is to help prepare a generation that is knowledgeable about AI technologies—capable of understanding their potential and limitations and engaging with them consciously and responsibly—while encouraging children to move beyond merely using technology to understanding, exploring, and utilizing it in creative and safe ways.

Open Data Lab Track

The Open Data Lab is one of the tracks of the "Engineer It with AI" competition, organized by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology. It aims to encourage participants to utilize data published on the National Open Data Portal to innovate digital solutions and products that generate economic and social value.

The second edition of the competition concluded under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Khamis bin Saif Al Jabri, Minister of Economy, and was attended by various dignitaries, experts in artificial intelligence and digital technologies, and representatives from government, private, and academic institutions.

Track Objectives

The track aims to achieve the following objectives:

•          Promoting a culture of open data and raising awareness of its importance as a national resource.

•          Transforming open data into knowledge and practical solutions that support decision-making.

•          Fostering innovation and developing digital solutions and products with economic and social value.

•          Opening new opportunities for researchers, developers, and entrepreneurs to leverage published data.

Track Categories

Participants in this track competed in three categories, as shown in the following table:

The objective of the Open Data Lab track: Highlighting open data as a national resource that can be transformed into innovative solutions supporting economic and social development and fostering digital transformation in the Sultanate of Oman.

"AI Makers" Initiative

The "AI Makers" initiative, implemented in collaboration with higher education institutions, has achieved remarkable results in supporting scientific research within the field of artificial intelligence.

At the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, the initiative attracted 390 published research papers, 63 of which qualified—including 18 published in Q1-ranked journals. Additionally, the six award categories received 222 entries, with winners distributed across the university’s branches in Muscat, Shinas, Ibri, and Ibra. The initiative concluded at the university on May 14, 2026.

At the National University of Science and Technology, the evaluation of entries for the first year (2025–2026) was completed, and the results were approved by the steering committee; recommendations were made to award incentives to eight published research papers, three of which appeared in Q1-ranked journals. The winners are scheduled to be announced in November 2026.

Agentic AI Conference 2026

The Agentic AI Conference was held on September 14, 2026, coinciding with the conclusion of the second edition of the "Engineer It with AI" competition, bringing together government decision-makers, entrepreneurs, investors, and national talent on a single platform. The event featured a keynote address on Agentic AI and a panel discussion titled "The Future of the Digital Economy in the Era of Intelligent Agents," featuring leaders from both the public and private sectors. The session explored investment opportunities in these technologies, the requirements for their safe adoption across vital sectors, and the role of government policies in maximizing their impact on the economy and society. The conference served to bridge specialized discussions with the practical solutions developed by the competition's participating teams.

Annual Report of the National Program for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Digital Technologies – 2025

Introduction

The year 2025 marked a significant turning point for artificial intelligence and advanced digital technologies in the Sultanate of Oman, characterized by the launch of national platforms, the implementation of high-impact projects, and the achievement of measurable results across vital sectors. This report highlights the year’s key accomplishments, combining quantitative data with selected details on projects that have reached tangible stages of implementation.

First: Notable National Achievements

National Open Data Portal

• Official launch of the portal during COMEX 2025.
• 56 government entities registered and publishing data.
• Recognition of 19 government entities for excellence in data publishing and updating.
• An effective national portal supporting transparency and data-driven innovation.

AI Studio

• Establishing and operating the studio to support AI innovation.
• Launching the digital platform and officially unveiling it at COMEX 2025.
• Enabling government entities to transform operational challenges into AI-driven solutions.

The Omani language model " Mu’een AI "

• Launch of the beta version in September 2025.
• Actual use by government entities.
• A unified interface for reporting, data analysis, and document summarization.
• A national project that enhances digital sovereignty and supports government productivity.

Second: Artificial Intelligence Economics Initiative (Sectoral Achievements)

Ministry of Health – Virtual Health

• Ready-to-use facility and pilot service operations.
• Medical and technical staff ready to commence work.
• Advanced technical system to support the delivery of remote health services.

Ministry of Energy and Minerals – Geological Data Analysis

• Conducting a proof-of-concept experiment.
• Setting up development and testing environments.
• Developing an intelligent Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system to support advanced analysis.

Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion – Investment Data Dashboard

• Commencement of the First package implementation.
• Linking and cleansing investment data.
• Developing artificial intelligence components to support investment decision-making.

Dhofar Municipality – E-Portals

• Issuance of the work order.
• Commencement of actual project implementation.
• Enhancement of digital municipal service delivery.

Ministry of Labor – Smart Administration

• Completion of technical and financial analysis.
• High level of readiness to proceed to implementation.
• Alignment of the plan with performance evaluation and training systems.

Oman Academic Accreditation Authority

• Awarding of the smart solutions project for managing training workshops.
• Contractual readiness to commence implementation.

Third: Artificial Intelligence Initiatives

Artificial Intelligence as a Service (AIaaS)

• A national initiative to provide AI system services via the cloud.
• Supporting companies and researchers in accessing AI technologies through the local cloud.

Smart Production Factories (SIRI)

• Over 100 factories underwent digital maturity assessments.
• 21 on-site assessments.
• Development of a roadmap for industrial digital transformation.

Fourth: Successful pilot projects (with performance indicators)

Smart Judicial Systems

•          Sector: Judiciary

•          Beneficiary: Public Prosecution

•          Project Nature: An intelligent system for analyzing judicial documents and files using artificial intelligence technologies

•          Impact: Supporting preliminary decision-making and enhancing case analysis efficiency within sensitive data environments

•          Status: Completed pilot implementation with an accuracy rate exceeding 90%

Early detection of diabetic retinopathy

•          Sector: Health

•          Beneficiary: Ministry of Health

•          Project Nature: A smart solution for analyzing retinal images using artificial intelligence technologies

•          Impact: Improved diagnostic accuracy, reduced waiting lists, and support for early disease detection

•          Status: Implemented nationwide; the Sultanate of Oman is the third country globally to adopt this solution

"Humam" Platform for Tender Data Analysis

• Sector: Governance and Government Procurement
• Beneficiary: General Secretariat of the Tender Board
• Project Nature: Smart tender data analysis platform utilizing Artificial Intelligence technologies
• Impact: Enhancing transparency, improving government procurement data analysis, and generating accurate evaluation reports
• Status: Completed pilot with a final evaluation report

 A2M AI-in-Education Platform

·      Sector: Education

·      Partner: National University of Science and Technology

·      Project Nature: AI-powered smart educational platform

·      Impact: Supporting academic performance prediction and enabling early intervention to improve learning outcomes

·      Status: Successful pilot; ready for scaling

Automated Conversational System for Supporting Security and Governance

·      Sector: Policy and Governance

·      Beneficiary: Governance Team at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology

·      Project Nature: An intelligent automated interaction system (chatbot) leveraging AI technologies to support inquiries and procedures related to security and governance

·      Impact: Improved response times, standardization of procedural information, and enhanced efficiency in handling security- and governance-related requests

·      Status: Successfully completed pilot implementation

Fifth: Training and Capacity Building – 2025 Indicators

• Over 10 specialized workshops.
• More than 300 beneficiaries.
• Participation of over 15 government entities.
• Workshops tailored to diverse groups (beginners, specialists, and leaders).
• Applied labs for the " Mu’een AI " language model.

Sixth: Seminars and Conferences Related to Artificial Intelligence – 2025 Indicators

As part of highlighting the nation's impactful presence in the field of artificial intelligence, the participation of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology in 2025 focused on showcasing national achievements, contributing to specialized platforms, and supporting international dialogue on the governance of advanced technologies.

Key indicators:

• Participation by the Ministry—either as a co-organizer or through a significant presence—in more than five major events specialized in artificial intelligence and advanced digital technologies.
• Showcasing of two key national platforms at specialized forums:
• The Omani Language Model (Mu’een AI).
• The National Open Data Portal.
• Organization of a national forum dedicated to artificial intelligence and quantum computing as part of the COMEX 2025 exhibition.
• Completion of an international report for the Sultanate of Oman regarding AI readiness assessment, utilizing the UNESCO Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM).
• An official contribution to a national report submitted to the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD).

Seventh: AI Makers

The "AI Makers" project is a national initiative aimed at building knowledge output in the field of artificial intelligence. In 2025, two academic cooperation memoranda were signed to produce and publish specialized studies on artificial intelligence with:

• • National University of Science and Technology.
  • University of Technology and Applied Sciences.

Conclusion

The achievements of 2025 reflect the maturity of the National Program for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Digital Technologies, as well as its ability to translate vision into tangible accomplishments with a national impact. The report underscores the Sultanate of Oman’s commitment to continued investment in artificial intelligence as a cornerstone of digital transformation and sustainable development.