Oman's Tech Sector Created 5,000 Jobs for Omanis in 5 Years. The New Plan Promises 3,000 Every Year.

If you paid for coffee with your phone this week, finished a government errand without queuing, or know a young Omani who landed an IT job, you have already met Oman's digital economy plan. On 22 October the government restarted it with a much bigger promise: 3,000 new direct jobs every year until 2030. So far, the sector has created about 1,000 jobs a year for Omanis.

Key Takeaways

• Phase two of the National Digital Economy Programme runs from 2026 to 2030. It targets RO 1.5 billion of GDP, RO 300 million in tech investment and 3,000 direct jobs a year.
• 8 executive programmes cover everything from e-government and AI to space, fintech and fibre broadband. Each one can point to delivery from phase one.
• The jobs target triples the old pace. Officials say 5,000+ tech jobs went to Omanis over five years. The new 3,000 figure is not split between Omanis and expats.
• Next to the UAE, Oman's headline share of GDP looks similar, but the two countries measure it differently and set very different targets.

What actually launched this week

The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) launched the second phase on 22 October, under the patronage of Finance Minister Sultan bin Salim Al Habsi, according to the official release published by Oman's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Phase one, from 2021 to 2025, focused on putting government online. Phase two moves on to businesses: digitising key sectors, e-commerce, electronic payments, help for small firms and wider use of AI.

The headline targets for 2026 to 2030 are a RO 1.5 billion contribution to GDP, RO 300 million in technology investment and 3,000 direct jobs a year. A new Strategic Intelligence Platform, built with the World Economic Forum, will track technology trends to guide policy. Officials also outlined plans for AI data centres of up to 500 megawatts, but the Oman Observer noted that no costs, developers or construction timetable were given.

The 8 programmes, and what each has delivered

The plan has eight executive programmes. The figures below come from the ministry's own 2021 to 2025 achievements report (PDF) and the speeches at the launch, as reported by the Times of Oman.

Some of these are big changes you can feel, like the cashless shift we tracked in how Oman quietly stopped using cash. Others, like space and semiconductors, are still small bets. The space sector, for example, contributed 0.045% of GDP, according to the ministry report.

The jobs maths: 1,000 a year so far, 3,000 promised

MTCIT undersecretary Dr Ali bin Amer Al Shidhani said more than 5,000 tech jobs went to Omanis over five years. That works out to roughly 1,000 a year. The new target is three times that pace, though the announcement did not say how many of the 3,000 annual jobs are meant for citizens.

Omanisation is rising, but there is a long way to go. Omanis now make up 46% of workers in technology activities, up from 33% in 2022. In technology professions, the share rose from 50% to 72%. Put simply, more than half the people working across the tech sector are still not Omani, which leaves plenty of room for citizens to fill.

Training is being lined up for those jobs. The ministry reports more than 800 AI specialists and 170 semiconductor specialists trained, and more than 11,000 people trained through the Makeen initiative.

Where Oman stands next to the UAE

Oman's launch cited a national survey putting the digital economy at 9% of GDP. In January 2023, the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy put the UAE's figure at 9.7% and set a goal of more than 20% by 2031.

On paper that looks like a close race, but treat it with caution. The two countries use different methods, and Oman's own numbers do not line up neatly. The ministry's report values the "core and direct" digital economy at RO 800 million in 2023, and phase one aimed for a 10% share only by 2040. Officials did not explain how the new 9% figure relates to either. The real difference is in what each country chooses to count. The UAE frames its target around GDP share and dollar size. Oman put citizen hiring numbers right at the centre of its launch.

Who runs it, and who pays

MTCIT leads the overall programme. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion runs digital trade, including the Maroof Oman store-verification platform, the Central Bank of Oman leads fintech, and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority handles infrastructure. So far, money has flowed mainly through contracts and startup support. 251 companies won government tech contracts, and 48 incubators and accelerators channelled more than RO 127 million to tech startups.

No total budget for phase two was made public. The RO 300 million figure is an investment goal to attract, not money the government has set aside. To follow delivery against national targets, see our Vision 2040 progress indicators, and our earlier look at where digital government fell short.

Why this matters for ordinary Omanis

If you are a graduate, this is one of the few sectors where the government has published a yearly jobs number you can check it against. If you run a small shop, phase two is aimed squarely at you: online selling, digital payments and AI tools for stock and marketing. If you just want fewer trips to a government office, phase one already moved 29.5 million transactions online.

The question to keep asking is simple. In 2027, can the ministry show 3,000 new jobs, and how many went to Omanis? That number will tell you more than any GDP percentage.