Knowledge Oasis Muscat
Oman has taken on the challenge to become one of the major players in the
information and communications technology (ICT) industry, aiming for the top
in the Middle East and beyond.
Along with working to boost the development of such sectors as manufacturing,
tourism and construction, the sultanate is also investing heavily in
information technology as one of the planks of its platform to diversify the
economy.
At the heart of this drive is the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), a
sector-specific technology park established in September 2003 as one of the
initiatives of Oman's Public Establishment for Industrial Estates. Located 30
km from the capital, the 68-hectare park is adjacent to the Rusayl Industrial
Estate and Sultan Qaboos University.
KOM offers tenants an advanced technological infrastructure, including a fibre
optic backbone and a broad mix of office and workspaces. Another incentive is
the park operates as a free trade zone, meaning that firms can be 100% foreign
owned, rather than requiring an Omani partner. That also means there is no
personal income tax levied or controls over foreign exchange movements in the
zone.
Also based at the park are the Middle East College of Technology and the
Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences, the two facilities having a combined
student body of some 3000 students, training to be the ICT experts of
tomorrow.
Among KOM's main objectives are to help develop a knowledge-driven economy,
attract investment, especially in the fields of research and development, and
to serve as an incubator for local start-up companies in the sector.
Sixty firms have already moved into KOM, with the number set to rise. On March
21, the Information Technology Authority (ITA), the state body responsible for
implementing national IT infrastructure projects and overseeing the
implementation of Oman's digital strategy, announced it was moving to the
technology park.
Salim al-Ruzaiqi, the ITA's CEO, said the relocation will allow the authority
to work more closely with the increasing number of information technology
companies basing themselves at the park.
The move to KOM will enable us to accommodate more staff and really move
forward with our remit, he said.
Mohammed al-Maskari, the director general of KOM, believes that a critical
mass of information and communications technology firms is forming at the
park, one that will help drive Oman into the future.
We've found that our tenants are looking for an area they believe will
experience significant economic development 10 to 15 years into the future, he
said in a recent interview.
One of the most pleasing trends, according to al-Maskari, is the increasing
interest by local entrepreneurs in KOM.
We're seeing young Omanis with education and work experience investing in KOM
and starting new firms. This is a very important development, he said.
In an interview with the local press, al-Maskari said that KOM aimed to
attract domestic as well as international creative talent in order to further
develop the all critical mass needed to boost the Omani ICT sector.
To achieve this, we need management, capital, a dynamic educational base and a
supportive public sector environment, he said. These are all areas in which
we're making substantial progress.
Another to tout Oman's potential in the sector is Tariq Hilal al-Barwani, one
of the country's leading IT experts. According to al-Barwani, the sultanate is
well placed to become the sector's regional hub, though it will have to work
hard to achieve its goal.
Innovation is the way forward for the development of digital economy, al-Barwani
recently told the local media. Oman should strive hard to promote technology
to become competitive - locally and globally. The sultanate should lay
emphasis on technology as this can surely be an additional source of revenue
for the country, apart from oil which the Gulf region largely depends on.
However, if Oman is to turn itself into an ICT hub, it will have to fight off
some stiff competition from its neighbours. The Dubai Technology E-commerce
and Media Free Zone, which includes the Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City
and the Dubai Knowledge Village, has already established itself as a major
centre for the sector.
That said, the new kid on the Middle East's information technology block is
making steady progress, wooing new investors, seeing a rise in the number of
home grown start ups and an increasing level of interest among Omanis in
taking a trip down the information highway.