The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion in Muscat has partnered with the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) to launch the “Smart Production Factories” project. This initiative aims to revolutionize Oman’s industrial sector by integrating advanced technologies and the principles of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The project involves conducting field evaluations of various factories using the Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) to assess their readiness for implementing Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies. The evaluations cover 16 dimensions within three main pillars and provide detailed analyses and recommendations for performance improvement.
Eng. Idris bin Hassan Al-Sinan, Head of Knowledge-Based Industries at the Ministry, revealed that the current phase of the project focuses on enabling 10 factories to adopt Fourth Industrial Revolution applications and undergo digital transformation. The ultimate goal is to convert 30% of factories in Oman into smart factories by 2026. A team of experts from GOIC and an accredited assessor from the International Centre for Industrial Transformation, along with ministry staff, are conducting field visits to evaluate the targeted factories.
Al-Sinan emphasized that the field visits aim to assess the current status of the factories and engage with their teams to complete the evaluations. This initiative is in line with the ministry’s strategy to achieve the objectives of the Industrial Strategy 2040, which is designed to boost the competitiveness of Oman’s industrial sector. By transitioning to smart production factories reliant on modern technology, factories can enhance productivity, reduce costs, improve operational efficiency, and create specialized jobs that align with educational outcomes. The ministry encourages all interested factories to participate in this project to capitalize on the opportunities for improved efficiency and competitiveness in the market.
