Monday 06 / January / 2025
Muscat: The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, in collaboration with the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting (GOIC), has commenced field evaluations of several factories as part of the “Smart Production Factories” project. This initiative aims to transform Oman’s industrial sector by adopting advanced technologies and the principles of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
This phase of the project involves a comprehensive assessment of participating factories based on specific criteria using the Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI).
The evaluation matrix consists of three main pillars divided into 16 dimensions, each providing an in-depth analysis of the factories’ readiness to implement Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and offering recommendations for performance improvement and development opportunities.
Eng. Idris bin Hassan Al-Sinan, Head of Knowledge-Based Industries at the General Directorate of Industry at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, stated that the current phase focuses on enabling 10 factories to adopt Fourth Industrial Revolution applications and digital transformation.
The plan aims to convert 30% of factories in Oman to smart factories by 2026. A specialised team comprising experts from GOIC and an accredited assessor from the International Centre for Industrial Transformation, in cooperation with ministry staff, is conducting field visits to the targeted factories.
Al-Sinan added that these visits aim to assess the current status of the factories and communicate with their work teams to complete the evaluation.
This initiative aligns with the ministry’s strategy to implement the objectives of the Industrial Strategy 2040, which aims to enhance the competitiveness of Oman’s industrial sector.
The initiative seeks to support the transition to smart production factories that rely on modern technology, thereby improving productivity, reducing costs, increasing operational efficiency, and creating specialised jobs that align with educational outcomes.
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion invites all factories interested in digital transformation to participate in this project to benefit from the opportunities it offers to enhance their efficiency and competitiveness in the market.
