Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology Continues Efforts within the National Open Data Initiative
16 government institutions have dedicated open data teams, and 35 institutions have published their data according to the approved standards and policies
Open data is the backbone of the digital revolution. It serves as the fuel that powers artificial intelligence technologies to achieve their immense goals. These data are a powerful tool that enables institutions and individuals alike to innovate new solutions, make informed decisions, and create promising investment opportunities. Open data also helps strengthen the relationship between the government and citizens, solidify principles of transparency and trust, and stimulate progress in various fields. This report highlights the efforts of the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology in accelerating the procedures taken in all government institutions as part of the National Open Data Initiative.
Importance and Direction :
Regarding the importance of open data and the Ministry's approach in this area, Hasan bin Fada Husain Al Lawati, Head of the National Program for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies, states: "In the midst of the rapid digital transformation, open data has become one of the vital factors for enhancing transparency, stimulating innovation, and improving public services. It also plays a role in raising Oman's ranking in digital transformation and government readiness for artificial intelligence. Therefore, the Ministry, within the National Open Data Initiative, seeks to encourage government agencies to start publishing their data and enhancing its availability in various sectors. To achieve this, the Open Data Policy was issued in June 2020, which sets the basic standards for open data and unifies the approach in making and publishing the open data produced and collected by state administrative units. According to this policy, all government institutions are obligated to make their data available for public use for research and commercial purposes. The Ministry is also currently working on a project to create a unified open data platform, which is expected to be launched experimentally by the end of this year. This platform will provide a vast amount of open data in various fields and sectors."
18 Teams :
Regarding the importance of having dedicated open data teams, Hamdan bin Mohammed Al-Alawi, Director of the AI and Advanced Technologies Program Development Division, said that forming open data teams in government institutions is a fundamental pillar to achieve the objectives of the Open Data Initiative. The Ministry has formed a dedicated open data team and urged other government institutions to form their own teams. Thankfully, 18 open data teams have been formed in government institutions to date. These teams work together to ensure that their efforts align with the National Digital Transformation Initiative and the Open Data Policy. The Ministry also holds continuous workshops for these teams to introduce the principles of the Open Data Policy, the standards for evaluating government entities in the field of open data publication, and the correct practices for classifying and publishing data. Until the unified open data platform is established, these teams, in collaboration with digital transformation teams in various government institutions, are working to speed up the availability of open data on dedicated pages within the websites of those institutions.
Positive Response, Evaluation, and Recognition :
Regarding the responsiveness of government institutions in making their open data available on their websites, Hamdan mentioned that the Ministry evaluates the responsiveness of government institutions in this matter. Recently, a report was issued covering 56 government institutions, 35 of which have initiated the publication of their data according to the approved standards and policies. Until the second quarter of 2024, the Ministry has addressed 28 government entities to urge them to comply with and implement the Open Data Policy. This initiative has received a positive response, with 11 government entities fully complying with the policy. These entities include the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, Environment Authority, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, State Audit Institution, Oman Academic Accreditation Authority and Quality Assurance of Education, Public Authority for Financial Services, Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Awareness Initiatives :
Hamdan also spoke about some of the awareness initiatives carried out by the Ministry, represented by the National Center for Space, Advanced Technologies, and Artificial Intelligence. Among these initiatives is organizing workshops at local exhibitions such as COMEX to introduce the AI Executive Program and its role in open data. Additionally, the Ministry has held informative meetings for heads of digital transformation. The Ministry organized the "Open Data Meeting" last June with the participation of representatives from government institutions. During this meeting, the principles of the approved Open Data Policy were discussed, featuring four papers covering various aspects of open data. The first paper focused on the principles of open data publication, providing a detailed explanation of the foundations and best practices in this field. The second paper addressed the National Data Strategy and its relation to data classification, helping participants understand how to integrate open data within the comprehensive national strategy. The third paper was dedicated to presenting the National Open Data Platform, introduced by Rahal Company, aiming to inform attendees about the importance of this platform in raising the government's readiness index for artificial intelligence. The fourth paper highlighted pioneering experiences in open data publication by three distinguished government entities: the Environment Authority, Muscat Municipality, and the Financial Services Authority.