Muscat: Investment in the logistics sector in the Sultanate of Oman during the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) increased to approximately RO 3.4 billion. During its annual media briefing held today in Muscat, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology indicated that it succeeded in attracting investments in the communications and information technology sector worth RO 1.2 billion in 2025. This includes approximately RO 65 million invested in the field of artificial intelligence. Revenue growth from the ports sector reached 17.4 percent, from maritime affairs 9.4 percent, and from land transport 18 percent.
According to Oman News Agency, Eng. Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, stated that the total length of roads under implementation during 2026 amounts to about 1,120 kilometers, with a total estimated cost of RO 1.2 billion. In his speech, he added that Omani ports witnessed an increase in the volume of cargo handled during 2025, exceeding 143 million tons compared to 137 million tons in 2024. More than 5.1 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) were handled, compared to 4.2 million TEUs in 2024. Additionally, Omani ports received more than 60 cruise ships carrying 200,000 million passengers.
He explained that the investment agreements signed by the Ministry during the Tenth Five-Year Plan in the ports sector contributed to increasing the operational efficiency and productivity of the ports. This, he said, led to an increase in handling volume during 2025 at Shinas Port by 689.3 percent and an increase in general cargo handling at Salalah Port by 16.7 percent.
In response to journalists' inquiries, the Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology stated that following the signing of the vehicle tracking project within the next two months, the "Muscat Metro" project will be announced.
For his part, Eng. Khamis bin Mohammed Al Shamakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Transport, said that work has begun on implementing the project to develop Al Mouj Road and 18 November Road. He anticipated the inauguration during 2026 of a number of vital road projects, most notably the dualization of Al Farooq Road in Salalah, the project to pave roads in the Wilayat of Muqshin, Sultan Turki bin Said Road linking the Wilayats of Al Kamil and Al Wafi with Sur, the Aqabat Wadi Bani Khalid road, in addition to the project to pave (Harweeb - Al Mazyunah - Maitan) road, the project to construct Al Mughsail Bridge, along with the project to pave Seih Al Kheirat - Al Shasr road in Dhofar Governorate.
He added that during 2025, the Ministry issued more than 370 navigation permits for foreign ships operating in Omani territorial waters. The number of ships and marine units that were renewed exceeded 2,400, the number of certificates issued to sailors exceeded 1,920, and the number of licenses for marine activities exceeded 1,540. He clarified that the number of electronic transactions completed via the Ministry's 'Naql' platform exceeded 326,000 during 2025, and the total licenses issued through the platform surpassed 290,000.
The Undersecretary for Transport pointed out that the lighting of Al Batinah Expressway will be completed after the final complementary works. As for Sultan Turki bin Said Road, a tender for its lighting has been floated and it will be operational during the first half of 2026. He explained that the Al Amerat Tunnel project and the road linking the Wilayat of Al Amerat with the Wilayat of Dama Wa Al Ta'een is one of the investment projects put up for bidding, and the Ministry is in the process of receiving and analyzing these bids.
For his part, Dr. Ali bin Amer Al Shaithani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Communications and Information Technology, affirmed that the Ministry projects are working on a number of investment in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies to enhance the digital economy. The most prominent of these include the announcement of the Oman Digital Triangle initiative to develop three geographically dispersed but digitally connected digital zones, the Green AI Alliance project, and the AI Dedicated Zone project to attract supporting institutions and emerging technology companies in AI and other technologies from within the Sultanate of Oman and from Middle Eastern and African countries.
He clarified that the number of companies specialized in artificial intelligence in the Sultanate of Oman reached about 46 by 2025, and the number of companies operating in the space sector reached 25. He explained that the Middle East Space Conference, concerned with promoting and marketing the space sector in the Sultanate of Oman, will be organized during this month.