IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

An agreement to design and implement the portal was signed recently by the Information Technology Authority (ITA) and the ministry with ICT Health, an Oman-based software development company, according to ITA officials.

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment yesterday launched a project which will help upgrade and make available about 300 services online under its digitization programme.

The initiative is part of a major project of the Ministry which is being implemented under Qatar e-Government 2020 Strategy.

As part of the digital transformation, the Ministry of Health launched e-health portal ‘Re-engineering’ project on Monday at an event at the Grand Millennium Hotel.

The launch ceremony was held under the auspices of Dr Hilal bin Ali al Sabti, Minister of Health, with the presence of Dr Fatima bint Mohammed al Ajmiyah, MoH’s Under-Secretary for Administrative, Financial, and Planning Affairs, along with director generals at the MoH and governorates, and heads of information technology in the directorates and hospitals

Dr Qamra Said al Sariri, director of planning, Directorate General of Health Services, MoH, said that the aim behind the project is to have a centralised database on patients, which can be accessed at any place and can be used whenever the need arises.

"We are working on this project in association with the ROP. We have almost finalised the plans and hope to implement it in the near future," Dr Qamra told Muscat Daily. It assumes importance as the government is trying to link clinics and hospitals at the regional and national level, she said.

The South Al Sharqiyah Governorate signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Omantel in the field of communications, which includes exchange of experiences in related fields, including the support and implementation of the digital transformation programme in the Governorate.

The MoU was signed by Dr Yahya bin Badr al Ma'awali, Governor South Al Sharqiyah and Talal bin Said al Maamari, CEO of Omantel.

Speaking to reporters following the launch of the second package of One-Station e-Trade Services at Comex exhibition being held at Oman International Exhibition Centre, the minister said that at least two countries are vying to acquire the tender for electronic transformation of services which he expects to be floated during the coming two months.

As Muscat evolves into a city of the future, Cundall’s role in the Greater Muscat Structure Plan is key

Oman’s capital city is on the cusp of a transformative evolution with the launch of the Greater Muscat Structure Plan (GMSP). The plan, a collaboration between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning and a diverse team of international experts, aims to shape the future growth of Muscat through forward-thinking urban development strategies.

Central to this ambitious project is Cundall, a multidisciplinary engineering consultancy known for its innovative approaches to sustainability, infrastructure, and urban resilience.

The capital, Muscat, has improved its performance in the world's Smart City Index by moving up eight points to 88 from 96 in the previous year, which was prepared by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).

The Index takes into account the economic and technological aspects of smart cities on the one hand and the “humane dimensions” of smart cities (quality of life, environment, and inclusiveness) on the other. The other GCC cities also improved rankings with Riyadh moving up to 25 from 31, Doha to 48 from 54, Dubai to 12 from 14, and Abu Dhabi to 10 from 13. The top ten smart cities are Zurich, Oslo, Canberra, Geneva, Singapore, Copenhagen, Lausanne, London, and Helsinki, apart from Abu Dhabi. A Smart City system is about the integration of all the utilities, infrastructure, and citizen services on a single platform and a unified dashboard for the efficient, reliable, and resilient operation of the city.

The facilities will be launched during a special event on the sidelines of COMEX, which will be attended by H E Eng Sultan bin Hamdoon al Harthy, the chairman of Muscat Municipality, on Wednesday.

Muscat Municipality is participating in COMEX 2024 with a strong focus on its ongoing efforts to transform Muscat into a "Smart and Sustainable City," aligning with its comprehensive digital transformation strategy.

Its booth features an extensive range of digital services designed to simplify and streamline transactions for citizens and residents. These services, part of a broader initiative to enhance electronic readiness and leverage modern information technologies, aim to eliminate the need for physical visits to administrative offices, thereby improving the overall quality of life in Muscat.

E-services to be introduced will include tenancy agreement and its renewal and payment of parking fees and fines; several more will be added at a later stage, Muscut Municipality officials said.

Mohammed bin Salim Al Braiki, Deputy Director at the Information Technology Department, said the new move would enhance quality and speed of services provided by the municipality to the level of those currently offered by other government organisations in the country.

Muscat residents identified unemployment, affordable housing and public transport as the top priority areas needing attention

Muscat is ranked 88th out of 142 cities in the 2024 Smart City Index (SCI), reflecting a significant improvement from its 96th position last year. The index, developed by International Institute for Management Development, assesses residents’ perceptions of the infrastructure and technology applications in their cities.

A meeting of officials of both the organisations was held on Sunday at Knowledge Oasis Muscat and was attended by NCSI chief executive officer HE Khalifa Bin Abdullah Al Barwani and ITA chief executive Salim Bin Sultan Al Ruzaiqi.

Dr Khalifa bin Abdullah Al Barwani, the CEO of NCSI, and Dr. Salim bin Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA focused on the importance of sharing knowledge and information between government agencies to assist in the future development of the Sultanate. A number of senior officials from both organisations were also present.

All the ministries dealing directly with the public would do well to put in place a central liaison office, which could serve as a one-Stop-Shop for all the requirements of people. In some cases, the problem arises at the very first step i.e., the submission of documents for attestation. The ministry officials promise to get the documents done in due course of time. But it takes a long time. There should be a system, so as to simplify the attestation processes and subsequent procedures.

Dr Ahmad bin Mohammed al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, has said that the Council of Ministers' decision to establish a government-owned company for broadband service is a substantial step forward enhancing the telecommunications sector in the Sultanate as the new company will supply optical fibre networks for authorised operators.

"Broad band networks have become as important as roads and electricity networks in many countries and they are seen as part of the basic infrastructure in modern society because of the great role they play in promoting economic and social development, improving living standards and the development of applications and general services that are linked to broad band like e-government, e-health, education and trade services," al Futaisi added.

From November 1 this year, the fees will be only collected through ‘electronic payment cards’.

An announcement on the municipality website says, “In accordance with the government guidance to implement E.government, Muscat Municipality would like to announce that all collection of fees will be through electronic payment cards with effect from November 1, 2013.”

A new digital system will allow users to track the transportation of cash in Oman in real time.

Introduced by local security provider Security and Safety Services, the Information Technology system allows users to track vehicles transporting cash, their speed, or if there is a breakdown, among offering other financial, human resource, and project management benefits.