Muscat: Eng. Hamad bin Ali Al Nazwani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning for Housing, attended the debut of the inaugural Firnas Summit at the St. Regis Al Mouj.
The conference, organised by the Ibn Firnas Drone Centre with the participation of specialists from the government, industry, and military, is part of Oman's efforts to encourage the use of modern drone technologies, maximize their development benefits, and empower startups to invest in promising technologies.
Organising the summit fits with attempts to establish Oman as a regional drone industry hub.
The conference will serve as an annual venue for evaluating development and exhibiting the most recent technology, providing the Omani economy with new opportunities in knowledge-based industries, digital transformation, smart cities, and artificial intelligence.
It is important to mention that the Ibn Firnas Drone Center is the Sultanate of Oman's first specialized drone center, having completed over 200 practical projects in Oman, provided the local market with over 1,000 drones, and logged more than 7,000 flying hours.
The center provides unified solutions that include sales, maintenance, training, industrial applications, and antidrone/radar technology, making it a full-service drone technology hub in Oman.
The summit marked the first Middle East debut of the DJI Matrice 400 (M400) drone, manufactured by global UAV pioneer DJI, and Ibn Firnas Drone Center is the official and exclusive agent in Oman.
The event featured a live demonstration of the aircraft and its aerial surveying, 3D mapping, and urban planning capabilities, as well as its use in utilities, energy, telecommunications, agriculture, and security.
This is Oman's first summit of its type, intended to keep up with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and future technology, notably in the drone field, by providing a yearly forum for innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange among national institutions and international enterprises.
The event reinforces Oman's stature as a regional knowledge and technology hub, while also contributing to Oman Vision 2040's goal of a varied, innovation-driven economy.
The symposium included technical working papers that looked at realistic drone applications in water and wastewater services, power, telecommunications, and urban planning.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, Nama Group, and Omantel were among the participants.
Practical case studies demonstrated how drones can improve service efficiency, reduce expenses, and speed delivery, hence improving quality of life and supporting smart city infrastructure.
DJI, based in Shenzhen, China, is the world's biggest producer of commercial drones, controlling more than 80% of the global market.
The business has established its position as an industry leader by providing unique solutions that have transformed public safety, smart agriculture, infrastructure, and media.
DJI's presence at the summit demonstrates the company's dedication to supporting the Omani market and expanding its regional footprint through strategic alliances.
According to Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Harthy, CEO of the Ibn Firnas Drone Center (Oman's exclusive DJI agent), the summit represents a watershed moment in the development of a unified national drone ecosystem.
He stated that the facility's mission goes beyond providing equipment to being a critical enabler of the business, based on three main pillars: Firnas Academy, the first academy licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority to teach professional pilots and equip them with operational skills for civil and military use.
Ferdinand Ma, DJI's Regional Partnerships Manager for the Middle East and North Africa, stated, "Choosing Oman for the Matrice 400's first Middle East launch reflects the high confidence we have in this promising market. Our formal collaboration with Ibn Firnas Center allows us to provide complete solutions and reinforces our goal to establishing Oman as a regional drone industry hub.
The Firnas Summit is an excellent venue for exchanging ideas about the future of this industry, as well as exhibiting cutting-edge technologies that will contribute to economic and knowledge development. ”
Ibn Firnas Drone Center is a specialized maintenance and technical support facility and the Sultanate of Oman's first dedicated drone maintenance hub, offering complete solutions to guarantee operational continuity at the greatest levels of efficiency.
The Firnas Innovation Lab is a research and development unit dedicated to developing locally developed AI-powered software solutions suited to the demands of the local and regional markets.
The conference ended with a panel discussion featuring the CEO of Ibn Firnas, representatives from DJI and the Civil Aviation Authority, during which opinions were expressed on the future of the drone industry and the prospects for its regulation and use in support of development.
