Recognizing open data as the backbone of the digital revolution, Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology (MTCIT) will launch a unified open data platform by the end of this year, according to a senior Ministry official.
Hasan bin Fada Husain Al Lawati, Head of the National Program for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies, said, "The Ministry is also currently working on a project to create a unified open data platform, which is expected to be launched experimentally by the end of this year. This platform will provide a vast amount of open data in various fields and sectors."
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The National Digital Transformation Initiative and Open Data Policy
The unified platform will be managed by an 18-strong open data team to ensure that their efforts align with the National Digital Transformation Initiative and the Open Data Policy. The Ministry will also hold continuous workshops for these teams to introduce the principles of the Open Data Policy—the standards for evaluating government entities in the field of open data publication, and the correct practices for classifying and publishing data.
Regarding the responsiveness of government institutions in making their open data available on their websites, Al Lawati mentioned that the Ministry evaluates the responsiveness of government institutions in this matter.
A recent report highlighted that out of 56 government institutions, 35 have begun publishing their data in line with approved standards and policies. As of the second quarter of 2024, the Ministry has reached out to 28 government entities, urging them to comply with and implement the Open Data Policy.
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This initiative has received a positive response, with 11 government entities fully complying with the policy. These entities include the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Environment Authority, the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Commerce, the Industry and Investment Promotion, the State Audit Institution, the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority and Quality Assurance of Education, the Public Authority for Financial Services, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Some of the open data awareness initiatives carried out by the Ministry, represented by the National Center for Space, Advanced Technologies, and Artificial Intelligence, include conducting workshops at local exhibitions such as COMEX to introduce the AI Executive Program and emphasize its role in open data facilitation.
Additionally, the Ministry has held informative meetings for the heads of digital transformation. The Ministry organized the "Open Data Meeting" last June, enlisting the participation of representatives from government institutions.
"In the midst of the rapid digital transformation, open data has become one of the vital factors for enhancing transparency, stimulating innovation, and improving public services. It also plays a role in raising Oman's ranking in digital transformation and government readiness for artificial intelligence. Therefore, the Ministry, within the National Open Data Initiative, seeks to encourage government agencies to start publishing their data and enhancing its availability in various sectors. To achieve this, the Open Data Policy was issued in June 2020, which sets the basic standards for open data and unifies the approach in making and publishing the open data produced and collected by state administrative units,” concluded Al Lawati.
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