The famous saying ‘Every dark cloud has a silver lining’ has become a reality in today’s time in the sultanate as the country is witnessing an increasing trend in the use of digital services in both government as well as private sector following the challenging circumstances emerged out of the efforts to combat COVID-19 outbreak.

As a part of its efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Oman, the Supreme Committee entrusted with the task has recommended reducing physical contacts. As a result, many business establishments in the country started employing innovative methods to keep business going under such circumstances.

Since last few weeks, supermarkets in Oman have started taking orders on social media platforms, insurance companies are selling and renewing policies online, money exchanges and remittance service providers are totally operating through online transactions, utility service providers are accepting payments only through online platforms. Other services providers such as restaurants, cooking gas delivery and bottled drinking water suppliers are also accepting orders online.

Besides this, all the educational institutions in the sultanate ranging from primary schools to universities are conducting online classes. And they are also working on devising a method to evaluate performance through digital means only.

The government agencies are also adopting digital platforms as the majority of government employees are currently working from home. All major government related transactions including announcing, submitting and awarding of tenders are also being done online. Royal Oman Police has also started doing visa renewals along vehicle registrations through online platforms only.

Meanwhile, many other businesses and government departments are also working towards finding innovative solutions to offer their services through digital platforms.

Experts believe that the adoption of digital platforms by masses could trigger a tectonic shift in the way people think going forward.