In recent years, Oman has made significant progress in developing its national space ecosystem. Which achievements during 2025–2026 do you consider the most significant, and how have they contributed to advancing the objectives of Oman Vision 2040?
The most significant achievement has been the transition of Oman’s space sector from an early ecosystem-building phase towards a more structured and economically oriented national space program.
A major milestone was the signing, in November 2025, of the agreement for the design, manufacturing and launch of OmanSat-1, Oman’s national telecommunications satellite. This followed other important achievements, including Oman’s first experimental space launch from Duqm, the deployment of privately owned Earth observation satellites, and significant growth in companies, employment and private investment across the sector.
By the end of 2025, the number of companies operating in the sector had reached 26, with more than 400 people employed across government and private-sector space activities. Private-sector investment had also grown substantially. These indicators demonstrate that we are moving beyond individual projects towards the creation of an integrated national ecosystem.
This directly supports Oman Vision 2040 by contributing to economic diversification, developing knowledge-based industries, creating specialized employment opportunities, strengthening national capabilities and promoting private-sector participation. The space program is therefore not only about space assets; it is about using space technologies, data and services as instruments for economic and technological development.
The implementation of Oman’s National Space Policy and Executive Program continues to gather momentum. Which strategic initiatives have made the greatest progress over the past year, and what key priorities will shape the next phase of implementation?
The first phase established the foundations of Oman’s space sector. The second phase, covering 2026–2030, is fundamentally about converting those foundations into economic and operational value. Several strategic initiatives are now central to this transition.
These include OmanSat-1, the development of commercial launch capabilities in Duqm, satellite ground-station infrastructure, the space cloud partnership, Earth observation data and innovation programs, CubeSat development, national capacity building, and space accelerators. Our priority during the next phase is therefore not simply to add more projects, but to create stronger integration between infrastructure, data, technology, talent and commercial opportunities.
We are particularly focused on six areas: completing critical space infrastructure; maximising the economic utilisation of space assets and data; increasing private-sector participation; strengthening research, development and localisation; developing national talent; and enhancing governance and international partnerships.
The ultimate objective is to move from establishing a space sector to building a competitive and sustainable space market in Oman.
Oman is steadily building a competitive commercial space ecosystem. What initiatives has MTCIT introduced to encourage greater private-sector participation, and what opportunities do you see for Omani startups and international companies looking to establish a presence in the Sultanate?
Private-sector participation is at the heart of the second phase of the National Space Program. Our approach is deliberately based on partnership rather than government building and operating every component of the ecosystem. For example, we are encouraging private investment in commercial launch infrastructure, ground stations, Ground Station as a Service, space cloud services, satellite data applications, manufacturing and assembly, research and development, and other parts of the space value chain.
For startups, we are continuing the Space Accelerator initiative, which provides support, mentorship and market linkages to help entrepreneurs move from innovative ideas towards commercially viable products and services. The first phase already supported the growth of seven local startups.
For international companies, Oman offers opportunities in launch services, satellite operations, ground infrastructure, Earth observation, cloud-based space services, manufacturing and assembly, and space situational awareness. The program specifically seeks partnerships that bring investment while also contributing to knowledge transfer, localisation and the development of national capabilities.
Our ambition is for Oman to become not only a user of space services, but an increasingly active regional platform for developing and delivering them.
Earth observation is becoming increasingly important for environmental monitoring, agriculture, maritime operations, urban planning, and disaster management. How is MTCIT driving the adoption of satellite data across government, and which sectors are currently seeing the greatest impact?
Our approach is centered on transforming satellite data from a technical resource into practical solutions that government entities, businesses, researchers and innovators can use.
One of the key initiatives in the second phase is the National Space Data and Innovation Initiative. It is designed to provide researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs with access to space data and advanced analytical tools and to encourage the development of applications addressing national and sectoral priorities.
We are also developing an experimental environment for space applications, where government entities, developers and service providers can develop proof-of-concept projects, test solutions and evaluate their value before moving towards wider implementation.
The program identifies applications across areas such as environmental and natural-resource management, planning and development, as well as broader economic and public-sector decision-making.
The objective is therefore to create sustainable demand for satellite data and, importantly, to enable Omani companies and researchers to develop value-added services around that demand.
Major infrastructure initiatives—including satellite ground infrastructure and the development of Etlaq Spaceport—are laying the foundation for Oman’s future space economy. How do these investments strengthen the country’s long-term competitiveness, and what further infrastructure developments are planned in the coming years?
Infrastructure is important because it provides the foundation upon which commercial services, innovation and national capabilities can develop.
The Duqm launch initiative is particularly significant because Oman’s geographic position and access to open sea provide favorable conditions for developing commercial launch activities. Our objective is to encourage private-sector investment in a commercial launch platform and gradually develop an ecosystem around launch operations, payload integration, tracking, communications, logistics and supporting services.
At the same time, we are developing the wider ground segment. This includes attracting international satellite operators and private investors to establish ground stations in Oman, developing Ground Station as a Service capabilities, and exploring a space cloud environment for receiving, processing, storing and analysing satellite data.
Oman’s location, telecommunications infrastructure and international submarine cable connectivity can collectively support the country’s development as a regional gateway for satellite data and services. Looking ahead to 2030, infrastructure priorities also include OmanSat-1, regional satellite-based navigation augmentation capabilities, space observation infrastructure and progressively more advanced national satellite engineering and R&D capabilities.
Developing national talent remains fundamental to building a sustainable space sector. What progress has been made in strengthening education, research, and workforce development, and how is MTCIT working with universities and industry to prepare the next generation of Omani space professionals?
Human capital is one of the fundamental pillars of Oman’s space program because infrastructure alone cannot create a sustainable national space sector.
During the first phase, more than 300 employees, graduates and job seekers participated in specialised space training programs delivered in cooperation with local and international organisations. We also established a partnership with Sultan Qaboos University to develop a Space Engineering Laboratory.
The second phase takes this further. We are linking academic education, professional training, research and development, and practical involvement in national projects. The CubeSat initiative, for example, will build practical national capabilities in satellite design, manufacturing, launch and data utilisation. It also includes specialised training for ten Omanis through the Oman national satellite project at the University of Montpellier in France.
Our longer-term objective is to develop Omani expertise across the entire lifecycle—from using satellite data to designing, manufacturing, testing and ultimately operating increasingly sophisticated space systems.
International collaboration continues to play an important role in Oman’s space strategy. Which partnerships established during 2025–2026 do you believe will have the greatest long-term impact, and in which areas is Oman seeking new international cooperation?
International cooperation is an important enabler of Oman’s space program, particularly for technology transfer, capability development, research, investment and access to international expertise. Etlaq spaceport and The OmanSat-1 program are an important example because it combines the development of a strategic national asset with knowledge transfer and the development of Omani capabilities.
More broadly, Oman is seeking deeper cooperation with space agencies, academic institutions, technology companies and international research centres. Our priorities include satellite engineering, Earth observation and data analytics, launch services, ground infrastructure, navigation technologies, space observation, research and development, and specialised capacity building.
Oman’s international engagement is also being strengthened through participation in international space organisations and frameworks and through specialised conferences and forums. The program specifically identifies space diplomacy and international events as mechanisms for building partnerships and enhancing Oman’s position in the global space ecosystem.
The principle guiding these partnerships is clear: international cooperation should contribute not only to accessing technology, but also to transferring knowledge, building national capabilities and creating sustainable economic opportunities in Oman.
As space technologies increasingly converge with artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and advanced connectivity, how is MTCIT ensuring these sectors evolve together to support innovation and economic diversification?
This convergence is actually embedded in the way Oman has structured its space program.
The National Space Program is not designed as an isolated sectoral program. It is one of the executive programs of Oman’s National Digital Economy Program. This allows us to connect space development directly with digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data and advanced digital technologies.
For example, satellite data requires advanced communications infrastructure for transmission, cloud infrastructure for storage and processing, artificial intelligence for analysis, and cybersecurity capabilities for protecting critical data and systems.
Our space cloud initiative reflects this convergence by bringing together satellite data, cloud computing, big-data processing and artificial intelligence. Similarly, our data and innovation initiatives are intended to enable developers and entrepreneurs to build new digital products and services using satellite data. We therefore see space as both an economic sector in its own right and an enabling layer within the wider digital economy.
The Omani space ecosystem has expanded significantly in recent years, bringing together government institutions, academia, startups, and industry. What do you see as the ecosystem’s greatest strengths today, and what challenges remain to accelerate its growth?
One of Oman’s greatest strengths is that we now have the essential components of an emerging ecosystem rather than isolated space activities. We have national strategic direction, growing government commitment, private companies and startups, academic and research institutions, developing infrastructure, increasing investment, national talent and growing international partnerships.
The figures from the first phase demonstrate this momentum: 26 companies were operating in the sector by the end of 2025, employment exceeded 400, and private investment had grown significantly compared with 2023.
Another important strength is Oman’s geographic position, which creates opportunities in launch services, satellite ground infrastructure and space observation.
The next challenge is to connect these components more effectively and move from ecosystem formation to market development. This means creating stronger commercial demand, increasing utilisation of space data, strengthening coordination between institutions, developing
developing specialised skills, attracting more investment and ensuring that research and innovation are translated into commercially scalable products and services. This is precisely why the second phase focuses on market development, commercial operation, localisation, private-sector participation and stronger governance.
Looking ahead, what are MTCIT’s key priorities for 2027 and beyond? Which emerging technologies or strategic areas do you believe will define Oman’s next phase of space development, and what message would you like to share with international partners considering collaboration with Oman?
Our priority from 2027 onwards is to accelerate the transition from building the foundations of the sector towards generating measurable economic, technological and strategic value. This includes progressing OmanSat-1 towards operation, developing commercial launch capabilities in Duqm, expanding ground-station and space-cloud infrastructure, increasing the utilisation of satellite data, strengthening national R&D and satellite engineering capabilities, developing Omani talent, and supporting the growth of startups and private companies.
Artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics will be particularly important because much of the future value of space will come not simply from collecting data, but from our ability to transform that data into intelligence, applications and services. We will also increasingly focus on localisation—moving progressively from the utilisation of space technologies towards their design, development, testing and, where commercially and strategically appropriate, manufacturing in Oman.
Our message to international partners is that Oman is building its space sector with a long-term perspective and is open to serious partnerships. We offer geographic advantages, strong digital and telecommunications infrastructure, an emerging commercial ecosystem and a national program that actively encourages investment and international collaboration.
We are looking for partners who do not simply see Oman as a market, but as a platform for joint investment, technology development, knowledge transfer and regional growth. Our objective by 2030 is to establish a more mature and sustainable space sector capable of generating economic and technological value for Oman while contributing meaningfully to the regional and global space economy.
