Muscat – Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), Oman’s first and most successful tech park, is now home to more than 200 future-focused local, regional and global companies and institutions with the total investment exceeding RO266mn.

KOM is one of the industrial areas managed by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn) and overseen by the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ).

According to Eng Jaafar bin Mohammed al Ajmi, director general of Knowledge Oasis Muscat, the list of international companies invested in KOM includes prominent names such as Microsoft, Oracle, and Motorola, in addition to leading local companies in this sector such as ITHCA Group and its subsidiaries, Awasr Oman, Oman Data Park, Azyan Telecom and Infoline.

“The number of companies operating in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector based in KOM runs to 200 that include corporates, government and quasi-government institutions. The volume of investments in the existing projects amounts to about RO266mn,” Ajmi said in an interview published in the latest edition of Duqm Economist magazine, which is published quarterly by OPAZ.

Ajmi noted that the current workforce in KOM has reached 3,958 employees with an Omanisation rate of up to 67%.

Ajmi also informed that Madayn has completed the ring road project in KOM at a total cost of more than RO6.6mn. 

He said that this road project aims to raise the efficiency of infrastructure and take in more investment projects in the promising economic sectors such as IT, telecommunications, knowledge business in addition to educational institutions, advanced training centres and other supporting projects.

“This [ring road] project is planned to transform KOM into a more fertile environment for the growth and attraction of investments, enhancing its competitiveness locally and regionally and reinforcing Madayn’s vision to provide world-class business cities,” Ajmi said.

New projects

With respect to the new investment projects in the Knowledge Oasis Muscat, Ajmi said there are many new projects that have been implemented or are expected to come into operation during the current year.

Among the major new projects are the satellite communications station with an investment exceeding RO4mn and the International School being built on an area of 43,000sqm with an investment exceeding RO8mn.

There is also a multi-storey parking building project being built on an area of 12,000sqm with a capacity of up to 1,500 parking lots in the first phase and will be increased to 2,500 in the future.

The companies based at KOM range from flourishing home-grown SMEs and leading higher education providers to burgeoning businesses capitalising on KOM's well-established reputation as a centre of excellence and opportunity.

Major multi-nationals have also based themselves at KOM, benefiting from access to Oman’s multi-lingual talent pool, exceptional trade links and the advantages of its prime location.