Muscat –Sultan Qaboos University launched the Oman University Programming Competition 2026 on Tuesday, bringing together 144 contestants in 48 teams to showcase their programming skills and compete for a place in an international contest.

Organised by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, the two-day competition aims to discover national talent in programming, strengthen analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, and prepare young Omanis to develop innovative solutions that support the digital economy.

The opening ceremony was held under the patronage of HE  Dr Ali bin Amer Al Shithani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Communications and Information Technology.

Mahmoud bin Saeed Al Mujaini, the competition’s general supervisor, highlighted the importance of developing digital skills among Omani youth and enhancing the technical capabilities of university students. He also stressed the need to encourage their participation in regional and international competitions.

The top-performing teams will qualify for the international competition, scheduled to be held in Egypt in December.

Al Mujaini said the ministry would organise specialised training camps for the winning teams ahead of their international participation. The camps will focus on strengthening programming skills, teamwork and the ability to tackle technical challenges.

He added that three Omani teams qualify annually to participate in these competitions.

Omani teams have achieved notable results in previous editions, including fifth and seventh places in a cybersecurity competition for African and Arab universities, which attracted 152 teams from around the world.

An Omani school team also secured seventh place in the Future Programmer competition in Jordan, which featured more than 57 teams from Arab countries. Members of the team were subsequently awarded scholarships.

Dr Sultan bin Salem Al Yahyai, regional director of the Oman University Programming Competition, said the contest focuses on core computer science and programming skills in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

He noted that although AI offers more powerful and faster tools, it also makes it essential for students to frame the right questions, understand results, identify errors and make sound decisions.

The competition is being held in cooperation with the Programming Academy, with OQ and Sohar Bank as strategic partners, OPAL as technical partner, and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority as silver partner.