MUSCAT — Oman’s national IT Strategy (e.Oman) and the Information Technology Authority (ITA) launched the official eGovernment services portal www.oman.om and the national awareness campaign at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel yesterday under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, minister of heritage and culture.

The launch of the website marks the beginning of a new breakthrough for the Sultanate and according to experts, the new portal would ease connection between government bodies and citizens, businesses, and visitors.

The launch of the important national project is meant to coincide with the Sultanate’s celebrations of the 39th National Day.

The launch has ushered the country into a new era of digital practice. In keeping with His Majesty the Sultan’s 2020 vision, the authority has already instituted a number of digital initiatives that have had a positive impact on Omani society and economy.

The official eGovernment services portal is the main entry point to the government system and its services. The site caters to all individuals in the Sultanate of Oman, and bridges the gap between government bodies and citizens, businesses, and visitors.

Key benefit

A key benefit of the portal is that it can be accessed by anyone, from anywhere, and at anytime. Aiding in the transformation of Oman into a sustainable knowledge society, the official eGovernment services portal uses digital technologies to improve the efficiency of internal processes and is designed to serve the public quickly, effectively, and in an interactive manner.

Access to the portal can occur through multiple channels such as the web and mobile devices. Navigation on the portal site is simplified through a live event service delivery model and searchable content.

The portal can be the main entrance to government services as it eases access to government services. “The official eGovernment services portal will allow a high-level of efficiency in the delivery of government services, which will eventually contribute to the transfer of Oman to be a society based on digital technology,” said Dr Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, chief executive officer of ITA.

The government institutions have made great strides in providing e-government services and interacted with ITA in a way to enhance the country’s digital infrastructure “These institutions have moved forward towards building a digital society through their active participation in the gateway. Users, either individuals or institutions can access government information and services online,” said Al Ruzaiqi, speaking at the event yesterday.

“The portal enables all individuals in the Sultanate including businessmen, citizens, residents and visitors to interact with various government institutions by enabling electronic access to the services they need. The gate enables them to have access to services related to personal affairs, immigration, health, education, culture, recreation and other services.

eOman awareness campaign aims at bringing success in all e-Government initiatives by preparing businesses and people to participate fully within the digital society. The campaign also attempts toward building ICT capacity within the nation by organising seminars, conferences and road shows.

eOman, the Sultanate of Oman’s e-Governance initiative, is built on His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s vision in a way to create a Knowledge Society in Oman. Spearheaded by the Information Technology Authority (ITA) which is affiliated to the Minister of National Economy (MoNE), eOman aims to create an effective government-community-citizen infrastructure that provides better public services to people, resulting in a meaningful information flow between the government and citizens.