Muscat – Oman, an Arab country in the Gulf, will host one of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 4.0 Industry centers. A cooperation agreement on this matter was signed on Monday (16) between the WEF and the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology of Oman, supported by the country’s Ministry of Economy, according to a news report published by state news agency ONA.
Called C4IR, referring to the term Fourth Industrial Revolution, also used to describe Industry 4.0, the center will be the sixth of its kind established in the Middle East in cooperation with the World Economic Forum—the 22nd globally. The center is scheduled to start operating in the first quarter of next year, according to ONA.
The center is an initiative by the WEF to drive the development and application of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain, in countries. It operates in a network, collaborating with governments, businesses, academia, and civil society for the responsible adoption of technologies.
Oman as a regional hub
The agreement was signed by Ali Amer Al Shidhani, undersecretary of Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for communications and information technology, and Sebastian Buckup, head of networks and partnerships and member of the Executive Committee at the WEF.
Al Shidhani said the move constitutes a step forward in the ministry’s ongoing efforts to transfer knowledge, localize technology and consolidate Oman’s position as a regional hub for technology and innovation.
