Muscat: The supervisory committee for the National ECommerce Plan held its first meeting of 2025 at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion to assess progress on the plan's programs.
The meeting, chaired by Qais Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, included officials from government organizations such as the Oman Investment Authority (OIA), the Royal Oman Police (ROP), the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology, the Central Bank of Oman (CBO), the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), and the Consumer Protection Authority.
Dr. Saleh Said Masan, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion's Undersecretary for Commerce and Industry, underlined the meeting's importance in assessing the plan's implementation, with 73% completion (22 of 30 initiatives) expected by the end of 2024.
The undersecretary said the plan focuses on: providing competitive telecom services to e-commerce enterprises; streamlining e-procurement and business procedures; improving logistics, digital payments, and legal frameworks; and raising awareness and skill development.
He stated that global eretail sales totaled USD 6 trillion in 2024, demonstrating the sector's fast expansion. Oman issued 9,232 ecommerce licenses and certified 204 establishments on the Maroof Oman platform following Ministerial Decision (499/2023) regulating ecommerce.
According to Azza Ibrahim Al Kindi, the ministry's ECommerce Director, these achievements indicate rapid industry growth and regulatory awareness. The plan—which is aligned with Oman Vision 2040 and was created in collaboration with the UNCTAD—aims to establish Oman as a regional ecommerce hub by 2027 through strategic digital transformation.
