Fostering the development of Oman’s knowledge economy pillars through ICT

Abstract

Purpose

Information and communications technology (ICT) is the driving force and key enabler of a knowledge economy. The purpose of this study is to identify the critical ICT indicators that foster the development of the knowledge economy and its main pillars (education, innovation and economic and institutional regimes) in Oman.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a qualitative approach and conducted four Delphi studies on four groups of experts (ICT experts, educators, innovation experts and economists) in Oman.

Findings

The results indicated that the most commonly top-listed ICT indicators of a boost in the country’s knowledge economy are related to the national level (total research and development expenditure on ICT, ICT patents as a percentage of national total and ICT as an overall priority for the government), firm level (the proportion of businesses using the internet, the proportion of businesses using computers and the proportion of businesses with a Web presence), and inhabitant level (mobile phone subscribers per 100 inhabitants, internet subscribers per 100 inhabitants and personal computers per 100 inhabitants).

Originality/value

ICT is the driving pillar of a knowledge economy. The literature indicated that most of the ICTs for development studies are conducted in developed countries; hence, there is a great need for investigations in the context of less developed economies such as Oman. This study can provide insights for the country on how to develop and exploit ICT to boost the development of the overall knowledge economy and its pillars and to provide guidance for exploiting ICT to gain economic value. Oman’s vision for 2020 and 2040 aims at economic diversification; the knowledge economy is a critical aspect of the country’s economic diversification. In addition, the literature indicated that the relationship between ICT and development is still not clear; hence, this study provided some insights into the context of knowledge economy development.

Citation

Al-Busaidi, K.A. (2020), "Fostering the development of Oman’s knowledge economy pillars through ICT", VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, Vol. 50 No. 4, pp. 691-714. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-06-2019-0093