Tuesday 09 / September / 2025
Muscat: A forum on digital applications and legal challenges, which began today, reviewed data protection and privacy frameworks, legislation related to digital contracts, and the legal liability for artificial intelligence (AI) decisions.
The opening ceremony for the forum, which is organized by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), was opened under the auspices of Dr. Ali Amer Al Shidhani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology for Communications and Information Technology. It was attended by a wide range of governmental, judicial, and academic institutions, along with international experts and representatives from leading technology companies.
The forum featured several discussion sessions and working papers on key global regulatory trends for digital applications, digital application regulation, and the protection of personal data and privacy.
In his speech, Taher Awadh Al Ibrahim, Executive Director of the Legal Affairs Unit at the TRA, highlighted the importance of establishing a flexible and balanced legislative environment capable of protecting the rights of individuals, developers, and institutions that use digital applications.
He noted that Oman has recently transformed into an increasingly digitally-dependent society. According to recent statistics, there were over 6.7 million active mobile subscriptions at the beginning of 2025, which is equivalent to 124% of the population. There are also 5.14 million internet users, and 3.29 million active social media users, representing about 61% of Omani society.
He pointed out that internet speeds have risen to levels that can support the most advanced applications, with an average mobile download speed of 92 Mbps and a fixed internet speed of 78 Mbps. Regarding subscriptions, Oman had more than 5.4 million mobile broadband subscriptions and approximately 588,000 fixed internet subscriptions as of May 2025.
Al-Ibrahim stated that IoT subscriptions have increased by more than 1.3 million compared to 2020, bringing the total to about 1.55 million. This reflects the national economy's transition to a new phase based on smart cities, digital logistics, and digital applications.
The forum is expected to conclude with a set of practical recommendations to enhance the legislative and regulatory system for digital applications and keep pace with global technological developments, contributing to a secure, innovation-friendly digital environment in Oman.
