Building Oman's Human + AI Edge: From vision to practical action
As Oman moves toward achieving its Vision 2040 goals, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not just a technological tool but a national capability that can boost productivity, prepare the workforce, diversify the economy, and strengthen global competitiveness.
Oman has long been a nation of bold navigators and early adopters. Historically, its sea-faring pioneers embraced complexity and opportunity with a sense of purpose. Today, that same spirit of fearless and purposeful innovation can guide the nation as it enters the AI era – with strategic clarity, skilled and ready workforce, and execution discipline at the core.
The future of AI in Oman lies not in grand but abstract ideas or one-off pilot technology projects, but inpractically harnessing AI capabilities within daily work. The real breakthrough happens when individuals – regardless of technical background – adopt AI to streamline processes, enhance decisions, and free up time.
The current wave of AI innovation is a great equaliser. It's intuitive, accessible, and powerful – giving individuals and organisations new ways to work smarter and grow faster. As AI upskilling and adoption expands, so do the possibilities for Omani entrepreneurs to create entirely new business models and community solutions. This is where GDP impact – potentially $1bn or more – can emerge.
Making AI real: Focus on human, not hype
Last month, Oman American Business Council (OABC) hosted a webinar led by HumanSense Labs and a guest speaker who previously led Microsoft Office AI initiatives. The goal was to demystify AI and put people's minds at ease. The event drew a diverse audience ranging from government representatives to SMEs and General Managers to technologists. That engagement reflected a key insight: Oman is ready for AI!
Participants were keen to drive practical outcomes. One leader emphasised the opportunity to use AI to unlock valuable organisational knowledge hidden in documents, especially in Arabic, where AI could bridge information gaps. Another was curious about how to improve prompting skills, a new but critical competency for professionals looking to use AI tools effectively within their daily workflow. A third acknowledged integration challenges across legacy systems, and we emphasised that AI journeys must be business-driven – not treated as typical IT projects.
Rebecca Olson, CEO, Oman American Business Council noted, 'Oman has the opportunity to lead not by chasing trends, but by applying AI in ways that are grounded in its people and its priorities. The interest showed by business leaders during our recent session was unmistakable – there's real appetite to move from curiosity to practical action.'
Start where you work
While AI has existed since the 1950s, today's AI is different: it is practical, intuitive, and accessible even to non-technical professionals. That creates both a powerful opportunity and a navigational challenge: Where do you begin? How do you make AI truly useful? How do you keep pace?
The good news: AI doesn't reward perfection, it rewards momentum. Momentum begins with one empowered employee, one process, one decision.
Pick a specific function or set of tasks that are repetitive or time-consuming
Experiment using GenAI as a digital co-worker and trusted colleague
Explore how you might re-imagine entire workflows using Agentic AI
While national strategies and governance frameworks are critical, the best starting point is simple: treat AI like a core life skill – on par with reading, writing, and arithmetic.
This is the moment to move from curiosity to confidence building, from being a bystander to becoming a confident adopter. One practical step is to assess your organisation's AI readiness to gain insights into your current capabilities.
Oman has a rare opportunity to harness the power of AI – building on its legacy of exploration and its tradition of thoughtful, purpose-driven development.
The Human + AI Edge is not about replacing people – it's about empowering each person to achieve their fullest potential and contribute to a greater national vision.
© Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
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