Readiness
44/100Capacity across five enabling pillarsMiddle East & Africa · #10 in region
Oman
AI Readiness Score
Limited coverageiCoverage describes source availability, not statistical certainty.
- Live
- 0/23
- Years
- Not reported
- Fallback
- 100%
SATURDAY, OCT 31, 20262026 EDITION · 17 INDICATORS
VOL. III · 2026 EDITION
The AI Trajectory IndexMenu
Executive summary
Current standing, trajectory, and source coverage.
Readiness and Adoption
Capacity to build AI compared with evidence of AI use today.
Adoption
44/100Early AdoptionTrajectory
+3/10PositiveReadiness vs Adoption: Radar
Blue = readiness capacity · Green = active adoption · Each axis pairs the closest dimension from each framework
| Dimension pair | Readiness | Adoption |
|---|---|---|
| Infra / Gov | 11/20 | 9/20 |
| Talent / Demand | 9/20 | 7/20 |
| Governance / Enterprise | 10/20 | 9/20 |
| Investment / Pipeline | 8/20 | 9/20 |
| Economy / Consumer | 6/20 | 10/20 |
Pillar evidence
Scores, supporting evidence, and the exact inputs behind each contribution.
Infrastructure
Omantel and Ooredoo Oman deploying 5G; decent urban connectivity with rural gaps
- Oman Data Park and ITA national data centre providing government AI infrastructure
- PEACE (Pakistan and East Africa Connecting Europe) cable landing point strengthening international connectivity
View score inputs
| Input | Value | Year | Source | Contribution | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed broadband subscriptionsFixed broadband subscriptions unavailable; used 6/20 of the static Infrastructure baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 3.3 / 6 pts | Fallback |
| Individuals using the internetIndividuals using the internet unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Infrastructure baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 1.7 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Mobile subscriptionsMobile subscriptions unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Infrastructure baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 1.7 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Access to electricityAccess to electricity unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Infrastructure baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 1.7 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Infrastructure quality baselineInfrastructure quality baseline unavailable; used 5/20 of the static Infrastructure baseline. | Not available | Not reported | AI Trajectory Index | 2.8 / 5 pts | Fallback |
Talent
Sultan Qaboos University and German University of Technology in Oman producing growing CS cohorts
- Omanisation programme building national AI workforce; significant government investment in technical education
- Smaller tech talent community than UAE or Saudi; relies heavily on expatriate workers
View score inputs
| Input | Value | Year | Source | Contribution | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross tertiary enrolmentGross tertiary enrolment unavailable; used 6/20 of the static Talent baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 2.7 / 6 pts | Fallback |
| Labour productivityLabour productivity unavailable; used 6/20 of the static Talent baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 2.7 / 6 pts | Fallback |
| ResearchersResearchers unavailable; used 2/20 of the static Talent baseline. | Not available | Not reported | OECD Data Explorer | 0.9 / 2 pts | Fallback |
| Global Innovation IndexGlobal Innovation Index unavailable; used 1/20 of the static Talent baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Intellectual Property Organization | 0.5 / 1 pts | Fallback |
| Talent quality baselineTalent quality baseline unavailable; used 5/20 of the static Talent baseline. | Not available | Not reported | AI Trajectory Index | 2.3 / 5 pts | Fallback |
Governance
Personal Data Protection Law (Royal Decree 6/2022) enacted 2022
- Oman Digital Economy Strategy with AI components; Royal Decree 50/2026 (Apr 2026) established a dedicated AI Special Zone in Muscat
- Oman's neutral foreign policy creating a stable governance environment for international AI partnerships
View score inputs
| Input | Value | Year | Source | Contribution | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of LawRule of Law unavailable; used 5/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | Worldwide Governance Indicators | 2.5 / 5 pts | Fallback |
| Government EffectivenessGovernment Effectiveness unavailable; used 4/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | Worldwide Governance Indicators | 2.0 / 4 pts | Fallback |
| Regulatory QualityRegulatory Quality unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | Worldwide Governance Indicators | 1.5 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| National AI strategyNational AI strategy unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | OECD.AI Policy Observatory | 1.5 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| AI strategy recencyAI strategy recency unavailable; used 2/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | OECD.AI Policy Observatory | 1.0 / 2 pts | Fallback |
| AI regulation in forceAI regulation in force unavailable; used 1/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | OECD.AI Policy Observatory | 0.5 / 1 pts | Fallback |
| Government AI readinessGovernment AI readiness unavailable; used 2/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | Oxford Insights | 1.0 / 2 pts | Fallback |
Investment
OIA (Oman Investment Authority) sovereign fund investing in digital economy
- Petroleum Development Oman running AI for enhanced oil recovery
- Oman Technology Fund supporting domestic tech startups with government backing
View score inputs
| Input | Value | Year | Source | Contribution | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R&D expenditureR&D expenditure unavailable; used 6/20 of the static Investment baseline. | Not available | Not reported | OECD Data Explorer, then World Bank Open Data | 2.4 / 6 pts | Fallback |
| FDI net inflowsFDI net inflows unavailable; used 5/20 of the static Investment baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 2.0 / 5 pts | Fallback |
| Government expenditureGovernment expenditure unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Investment baseline. | Not available | Not reported | IMF DataMapper | 1.2 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Capital ecosystem baselineCapital ecosystem baseline unavailable; used 6/20 of the static Investment baseline. | Not available | Not reported | AI Trajectory Index | 2.4 / 6 pts | Fallback |
Economic Readiness
4.5M population; diversifying oil economy with logistics, tourism, and fisheries sectors applying AI
- PDO oil operations AI deployment is the most advanced AI use case in the country
- Port of Salalah AI for logistics optimisation as free zone hub for Asia-Africa trade
View score inputs
| Input | Value | Year | Source | Contribution | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita, PPPGDP per capita, PPP unavailable; used 6/20 of the static Economic Readiness baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 1.8 / 6 pts | Fallback |
| Private-sector creditPrivate-sector credit unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Economic Readiness baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 0.9 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Trade opennessTrade openness unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Economic Readiness baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 0.9 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Services value addedServices value added unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Economic Readiness baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 0.9 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Market capacity baselineMarket capacity baseline unavailable; used 5/20 of the static Economic Readiness baseline. | Not available | Not reported | AI Trajectory Index | 1.5 / 5 pts | Fallback |
| Government debt modifierGovernment debt modifier unavailable; no score adjustment was applied. | Not available | Not reported | IMF DataMapper | 0.0 / 0 pts | Fallback |
Outlook and policy gaps
Forward direction, constraints, and a structured country brief.
Projected 2028
49/100+5 points from todayTop accelerator
Oil wealth and PEACE cable landing creating AI infrastructure investment momentumTop risk
Oil price sensitivity and smaller scale economy compared to UAE and Saudi Arabia limiting AI ecosystem depthFive-section brief
Country research brief
Generate a concise review of standing, infrastructure and talent, governance, investment, and economic outlook.
News and supporting tools
Recent signals, comparable economies, and optional analysis controls.
Live AI News Feed
The Guardian · Google News · Updated hourly
Comparable countries
Nearest neighbours across the five readiness pillars.
Analysis toolsWhat-if model, roadmap, AI Q&A, embed, and print controls
AI Development Roadmap
Algorithmic roadmap based on pillar scores · Updated with live data
◉Development Phase
Oman is in the Development Phase
Scaling infrastructure and talent pipelines. Projected score by 2028: 49/100.
2028 Timeline
▶
Now
Score 44
2
2025–26
Talent pipeline scaling to 1,000+ AI graduates/yr
3
2026–27
AI regulation framework published
4
2028
Domestic AI investment exceeds 0.5% GDP
Priority Actions — 3 Weakest Pillars
⬠Economic Readiness
6/20Near
Expand financial inclusion; target 80% banked population by 2026
Mid
Develop AI-driven export diversification strategy beyond primary commodities
◇Investment & R&D
8/20Near
Introduce R&D tax credits (≥25%) for AI-related expenditure
Mid
Create sovereign AI venture fund targeting deep-tech Series A/B rounds
◈AI Talent
9/20Near
Create fast-track AI visa pathway; incentivise diaspora return
Mid
Fund 500 PhD fellowships in ML, data science, and AI safety per year
Roadmap generated algorithmically from pillar scores and World Bank data. Actions are indicative policy priorities, not official government plans.