The 33rd edition of the COMEX Global Technology Show 2024 was recently opened by His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth. The event featured the participation of over 100 local and international institutions in the technical field, with the aim of promoting digital investment and showcasing the latest technologies and electronic services. Dr. Ali bin Amer Al-Shaythani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, highlighted the National Program for the Digital Economy, which aims to increase the digital economy’s contribution to the GDP from 2 percent to 10 percent by 2040 through various executive programs such as digital industry, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, and cybersecurity.
Since the announcement of the National Program for the Digital Economy, investments in the communications and information technology sector have exceeded OMR 1 billion (2.5 billion US dollars), focusing on areas such as communications technologies, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. The agreements and projects announced at COMEX 2024 are valued at 60 percent higher than those announced in the previous year, exceeding OMR 40 million. The Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology is also working on various projects, including the Omani Linguistic Model and the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, to support the digital economy and technological advancements in the country.
The COMEX Exhibition has been showcasing paths towards digital transformation and technological development for over thirty years, emphasizing the importance of the digital economy in supporting the national economy. The exhibition provides opportunities to learn about global advancements in advanced technologies and their role in enhancing capabilities, skills, efficiency, and productivity. Various agreements were signed during the exhibition, including the unified national portal agreement and projects to upgrade the electronic certification infrastructure and implement digital transformation projects with different entities, aimed at automating services and improving government project management.
Significant partnerships were also announced, such as the establishment of the largest national data center for redundant data in Oman with an investment of approximately $25 million and the establishment of a center for edge cloud computing services and a sovereign cloud services center through strategic partnerships with Google and Amazon Cloud Services, respectively. These initiatives aim to provide generative artificial intelligence services and boost e-commerce platforms in the country. The opening ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials and representatives from various government agencies, local and international technology companies, showcasing the importance of the exhibition in promoting technological advancements and digital investments.
