The Middle East

With two well established full-network operators complemented by a range of dynamic “reseller” players, Oman’s telecommunications market is lively and competitive. Growing market maturity has led to operators looking to boost take up of mobile internet and value-added services (VAS) in order to drive revenues, while targeting niches with...

Having adopted a forward-looking strategy for ICT development a decade ago, Oman has made great strides in building up its technological infrastructure and its capacity, within both the government and the private sector. “There has been an increase in the demand for IT services, particularly from the private sector who know the value of...

In addition to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Oman’s Ministry of Manpower (MoM) also has a key role in the sector, with its responsibilities including oversight of technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

Despite declining oil and gas revenues, Oman maintained its commitment to education spending in its 2015 budget, with the sector retaining a major share of state expenditure. This bodes well for 2016 and beyond, too, as the government clearly recognises that the long-term health of the broader economy, as well as of its citizenry, depends to a...

In late 2015 in the desert of southern Oman, work is due to start on a $600m solar plant capable of producing a peak output of 1 GW of thermal energy. By comparison, the current largest photovoltaic (PV) solar plant in the world – the Solar Star project in California – produces 579 MW, or a little over half as much energy as the plant being...

For the Omani power sector, 2015 was a year to look back and take stock. In the 10 years since market reforms were introduced, the industry has witnessed a 164% increase in supply and a 75% increase in the number of accounts.