Muscat – Marking Arab Deaf Week, the sultanate’s first video call centre and digital services platform – named Nafith – dedicated to persons with hearing disabilities was launched on Wednesday.

The launch ceremony was held under the patronage of H E Dr Abdullah bin Hamoud Al Harthi, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Social Development.

The platform enables users to communicate with government and private institutions through video calls supported by sign-language interpreters. Officials said it is designed to improve digital inclusion and remove communication barriers.

Sultan Al Amri, Executive Director of Nafith, said the project reflects a commitment to empowering people with hearing disabilities and facilitating direct access to services.

“This step marks the beginning of a broader phase in which we aim to redefine accessibility and make service access more humane and inclusive,” he said.

According to the app’s developers, it addresses the needs of around 17,000 people with hearing disabilities in Oman. It allows users to complete transactions and access services independently through real-time interpretation.

In addition to the video call centre, the platform offers a sign-language news portal, a service to book interpreters for events, and a feature identifying accessible locations for people with different disabilities.

Nafith builds on efforts that began in 2018 with the launch of the SignBook app. The project has since evolved into a wider digital platform.

Developers said SignBook has provided more than 8,600 sign-language interpretation services and supported over 4,500 beneficiaries in cooperation with more than 35 public and private entities.

Seven cooperation agreements were signed at the launch ceremony with organisations including the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Alizz Islamic Bank and the National Centre for Statistics and Information to expand the platform’s reach.

The event included presentations by persons with hearing disabilities who shared their experiences of using the platform and how it has improved their ability to communicate and access services.