Ministry of Commerce, ITA, to bring latest e-commerce tech to Oman

Oman’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) and the Information Technology Authority will together ensure that Oman keeps track of the latest e-commerce developments in the markets, allowing the country to adapt to these changes accordingly.

The news came at the Oman e-commerce conference, which saw the participation of more than 40 local and international companies, as well as 50 speakers from different countries.

Bader Al Lawati, an academic researcher in digital technologies, said: "The conference comes at an important time with the government's orientation and the efforts of the MOCI and the Information Technology Authority (ITA) to keep pace with the global technological developments. It comes parallel to the vision of Oman 2040, especially after the Royal Decrees were issued over investment laws such as the foreign capital investment law and the commercial companies’ law. The e-commerce department has also been established at the ministry to deal with and develop e-commerce."

He added: "E-commerce started 25 years ago as an idea of a direct purchase between seller and buyer. Today, the term e-commerce refers to everything that happens online, such as exchanging information or providing services and benefit from remittances and electronic payment, as well as the process of buying and selling. Every service provided by the government or the private sector via the internet falls under the umbrella of electronic commerce."

Majid Al Ameri, the founder of the Thawani platform, said: “The Thawani platform for electronic payments via mobile phones is a free application on Android and iOS. The platform can be used by both traders and consumers. Payments by phone are available around the clock and our platform allows consumers to pay for their purchases via mobile phone without the direct use of a bank card or PIN."

The second and final day of the conference included a presentation of a number of topics, including Oman 2040, the transformation of business, the growth of electronic payment in Oman as well as a talk on the best policies for innovation in the field of electronic services and how to expand the scope of start-ups through e-commerce in the world.

Additionally, the conference included workshops on how to benefit from technology to digitally enhance society, improve customer experience, business management, future trade regulatory approaches, convert data into actionable visions, shape business practices, and the role of e-commerce in empowering women and youth.

The conference also included a number of discussion sessions, the first of which discussed the revolution of electronic commerce and the factors leading to change and the impact of electronic commerce on the economy and how it would impact the future, while the second session discussed blockchain technology.