Oman to transform 30% of factories into smart facilities by 2026

Muscat – In a significant step towards modernisation of its industrial sector, Oman’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP) has launched a special project to advance the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) techniques in the country.

Christened as ‘Smart Production Factories’, the project has been taken up for execution in collaboration with the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC), an official from MoCIIP stated, adding that the project’s goal “is to facilitate the integration of advanced technologies and 4IR innovations into Omani factories”.

The first phase of this involves a comprehensive field evaluation of participating factories based on a specific set of criteria derived from the Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI). This evaluation matrix is structured around three core pillars, encompassing 16 dimensions that assess each factory’s readiness for 4IR technology adoption and provide tailored recommendations for improvement, the official elaborated.

The initial phase of the project will focus on enabling five out of 20 selected factories to adopt 4IR applications and undergo digital transformation throughout 2024. By 2026, the target is to transform 30% of Omani factories into smart factories.

A specialised team from GOIC, including a certified evaluator from the International Centre for Industrial Transformation, will collaborate with the MoCIIP’s team to conduct site visits and evaluate the factories based on the SIRI criteria.

This initiative is a key component of the Industrial Strategy 2040, designed to enhance the competitiveness of Oman’s industrial sector by facilitating the transition to smart production facilities. The project aims to modernise technology, introduce new production lines, reduce costs, increase efficiency, and create specialised job opportunities aligned with educational outcomes.

The ministry, the official said, encourages all factories interested in digital transformation to participate, so as to improve their operational processes, competitiveness and overall efficiency.

MoCIIP identified five critical challenges currently hindering the industrial sector’s growth, the ministry official informed. These include low adoption of advanced technologies, absence of clear standards for foundational transformation, limited availability of development solutions for factories, shortage of specialists to assess factory status, and a workforce that is largely unskilled in modern technologies.

To tackle these issues, MoCIIP has outlined a series of planned actions, he said, adding that these include evaluation of both new and existing factories.