اخبار سلطنة عُمان – وطن نيوز
اخر اخبار سلطنة عُمان اليوم – اخبار سلطنة عُمان العاجلة
W6nnews.com ==== وطن === تاريخ النشر – 2026-06-09 11:03:00
The Sultanate of Oman pays increasing attention to empowering youth, as they are a pivotal element in sustaining development and shaping the future within the framework of national directions aimed at building an economy based on knowledge and innovation. National programs and initiatives have also contributed to providing incubating environments for creativity, developing skills, and strengthening partnership between the public and private sectors, which supports the transformation of youth ideas into initiatives and projects with an economic and social impact, and enhances their ability to anticipate challenges and opportunities. In this context, Ali bin Abdullah Al Maskari from the Scientific Research and Innovation Authority says: The Sultanate of Oman’s interest in the national innovation system comes through supportive pillars, the most important of which is Royal Decree No. (11/2026) in January 2026 regarding the establishment of the Scientific Research and Innovation Authority, which emphasized the shift towards a knowledge economy and society, and providing the enabling environment necessary to promote the desired economic and social transformation, as the specializations and tasks of the Scientific Research and Innovation Authority are integrated with Priorities of Oman Vision 2024.” He added that educational institutions and research centers, at their various levels, represent the solid foundation for scientific and knowledge building, and the main pillar of technical and industrial progress, with the importance of directing mental and cognitive energies towards creativity, innovation and development, in a way that qualifies young people to be a pillar of investment and leaders of the economic development process, by relying on investment in innovation through the establishment of small and medium emerging entrepreneurial student companies that contribute to transforming the outcomes. Research and scientific knowledge are transformed into national economic products and outputs that achieve economic returns for innovators, and for the national economy as a whole. At the institutional and national levels, Al Maskari explained that the Authority is making continuous efforts to strengthen the national innovation system by developing supportive programs in the fields of scientific research and innovation, stimulating partnerships between academic institutions and the industrial sector, and expanding the scope of initiatives directed at youth. Supporting competency-based research and strategic research has contributed to raising the quality of scientific production and directing it towards priorities. National with an economic impact, in various strategic fields. He added: Scientific competitions and hackathons play an important role in spreading the culture of innovation and motivating young people to develop practical solutions to development challenges. At the national level, initiatives come in support of empowering young people and opening broader horizons for them in the field of entrepreneurship and startup companies, such as the Promising Omani Start-up Programme, which provides programs and grants that contribute to facilitating the establishment of startup companies and providing them with the skills to grow and expand in markets. Local and foreign, in addition to the investment support provided by national investment funds to support youth projects. He stressed that the Authority has concrete efforts being made in this field, as the scientific incubators program stands out to be attractive environments for students and talented people. In parallel with this, a program was launched to support innovation and technology transfer centers in higher education institutions, and with regard to building research and innovation capabilities, many different innovative capabilities emerge directed to the youth category of various segments in the field. Innovation, and enhancing their future roles in anticipating economic and technological transformations. He explained that one of the most prominent of these programs is the program for transforming student graduation projects into start-up companies in its eighth edition. The Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation in 2025 also announced the qualification of (5) innovative scientific projects to participate in the London International Forum for Young Scientists, in which the Authority participates annually. It also continues its efforts towards organizing the national version of the Falling Walls Laboratory Competition on an annual basis, and also participates in the International Exhibition of Invention, Innovation and Technology in Malaysia to involve a group of distinguished young Omani innovators, in the first session of the 50th Geneva International Invention Exhibition, and in organizing the “Seeds for the Future” event that was held in the People’s Republic of China. Al Maskari pointed to the increasing institutional efforts made by the Scientific Research and Innovation Authority to empower young people in the fields of innovation at the national level, and give them real opportunities for growth and sustainability, with more upcoming programs and projects that aim to further empower them in innovation and entrepreneurship. In line with the national targets and the objectives of the five-year plans, to enhance their role in the economic transformation based on innovation. For her part, Kholoud bint Musa Al Balushi – Assistant Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, says: My work as Assistant Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology, and as an academic interested in engineering projects and my participation in more than one evaluation of local and international innovation competitions, gave me the opportunity to deal directly in project and innovation environments, both at the program level. supportive, innovation centers, or academic incubators, which contributed to refining my professional skills and transforming a number of ideas from their theoretical framework into projects that can be implemented and expanded.” It turned out that “talking about innovation environments revives our understanding of their importance to be a safe space for experimentation, learning from error, and linking academic knowledge to practical reality and market needs.” And about the contribution of national programs in different sectors and participation in international competitions directed to empower Youth, Al Balushi said: For example, but not limited to, this helped me develop an integrated set of skills, including design thinking, project management, and problem-based innovation. Through workshops and innovation camps, we learn how to analyze societal and technical challenges in a systematic way, and thus transform them into innovative value-added opportunities. She added: We do not forget the role of guidance and direction from local and international experts, which has an essential role in building confidence in one’s own abilities, and enhancing leadership and work skills. Within multidisciplinary teams, which is an essential element in engineering and technological projects. As for transforming ideas into realistic projects, she said that initiatives usually help support innovation, whether in the academic or industrial sectors, by providing the necessary infrastructure, such as specialized laboratories, shared work spaces, technical support, and necessary consultations. This support contributed to accelerating the stages of initial prototyping and testing, and reducing the gap between idea and application. She explained: Partnerships with the private sector were strengthened in understanding market requirements and linking research projects to the actual needs of the industry, which increased opportunities for sustainability and expansion. Regarding the challenges, Al Balushi said: The journey of implementation and expansion will not be without multiple and intertwined challenges, most notably the limited financial and human resources in the early stages, which contributed to the difficulty of achieving a balance between academic and administrative obligations and the requirements for development and supervision of innovative projects. We also faced challenges related to With some ideas being technically ready to move from the research stage to practical application, in addition to the constant need to align project outcomes with changing market requirements and accelerating technological development, these challenges can be dealt with through phased planning, dividing goals, and benefiting from national and international financing and support programmes, which contributed to overcoming obstacles and turning them into opportunities for continuous development and improvement. During the expansion phase, Al Balushi established the importance of applying clear governance principles, promoting scalable business models, in addition to sustainable investment. In developing young human resources to ensure the achievement of the institution’s strategic objectives, it also clarified: It can be said that the practical experience in innovation environments was not limited to transforming an idea into a project, but rather contributed to building an innovative mentality capable of anticipating the future, and enhancing the role of youth as an effective national force in achieving sustainable development and a knowledge-based economy. In the same context, Majid bin Fayel Al Ameri – founder and CEO of Thawani Company, said: “It can be said that the youth innovation system in the Sultanate of Oman has witnessed… There has been a remarkable development in recent years, in which it has moved from the stage of building awareness and focusing on ideas and developing them, and testing their suitability to the market and the needs of society, to a more mature stage based on application, building successful solutions, linking innovation to real needs and realistic challenges in the market and integrating with the “Oman 2040” vision. This transformation constitutes a main pillar for achieving sustainable development goals and building a knowledge-based economy. Regarding the development of the innovation system in the Sultanate of Oman, Al Ameri stressed: The system formed the basic building block by developing clear national strategies, programs supporting entrepreneurship, business incubators and accelerators, in addition to training initiatives that focused on future skills such as digital transformation, data analysis, design thinking, and employing artificial intelligence. He added: “At the application level, youth models have emerged capable of transforming challenges into opportunities, and providing digital solutions in vital areas that address realistic challenges and whose practices are globally tested and proven to be successful, such as technologies.” Finance, creative industries, customer service with artificial intelligence, and e-commerce, which reflects a qualitative development in the innovation mentality of Omani youth. Based on professional practice, Al-Amiri stated: From our experience in Thawani, we have directly sensed this transformation; Where young people are not satisfied with presenting innovative ideas, but rather are keen on studying the market and competitors, understanding the user and the context of use, analyzing data, and building prototypes for products that can be developed, expandable, and worthy of investment. This development reflects the transition of innovation from being an individual initiative to a systematic practice supported by knowledge and experience. He explained: The visions of Omani youth today aspire to forming a true partnership with supportive national institutions, based on trust, providing opportunities and bridging. For new partnerships, and enabling them to experiment without fear of failure, as young people aspire to work in an environment that allows them to participate in decision-making, and values innovation as an added value, not as a risk. They also seek to be part of major national solutions, not just implementers, which enhances their sense of responsibility and belonging. A legitimate question is: What if the future is not an event that we wait for, but rather a decision that we make? This question is no longer just a passing philosophy for the Omani youth today, but rather a starting point. We do not view anticipating the future as an intellectual luxury or a vague prediction, but rather as a national responsibility that starts from our awareness and is translated into initiatives, skills, and real actions on the ground. She adds: “The innovative Omani youth realize that the world is changing at an unprecedented speed.” An economy that changes, jobs that disappear and others that exist, and technologies that redefine the meaning of work and knowledge, so anticipating the future for us has become the ability to read these transformations early, understand their impact on our society, and then move intelligently to create solutions that keep pace with them instead of lagging behind them. Regarding empowerment with knowledge, Al Rashidiya explains: We believe that true empowerment begins with knowledge, as smart and research platforms are no longer merely supportive tools, but rather have become A space to form thought, link ideas to the needs of society, and transform questions into projects of economic and social value. When a young person has the ability to access the correct information, analyze it, and link it to reality, he becomes an active element in decision-making, not a recipient of it.” As for the tools and skills that young people see as the most important to enable you to contribute effectively to facing the economic and social challenges of the future. She added: Tools alone do not make the future, what actually makes it is the person who is able to make it. Critical thinking, asking the right questions, working in a team spirit, communicating clearly, and making decisions with courage. This is why Omani youth are keen to develop the skills of innovation, problem solving, leadership, and negotiation, because they represent the bridge between idea and implementation, and between ambition and impact. Al Rashidiya stressed: Omani youth realize that there are economic and social challenges that must be faced, as they are not faced with an individual mentality, but rather with a participatory mentality, and we believe that the partnership between youth and institutions, and between the public and private sectors, is The quickest path towards sustainable solutions, when young people are given confidence, involved in planning, and given the opportunity to experiment, they transform from looking for an opportunity into creating it. Looking ahead to the future for Omani youth is not a fear of what is coming, but rather a belief in our ability to create it. It is an insistence on being part of the solution, not a part of waiting. With the right empowerment, smart platforms, and sincere will, the future of the Sultanate of Oman is not expected, but rather built In the hands of his youth.
