Muscat – Omantel’s technology arm Otech and Deep Astra have launched a locally hosted artificial intelligence (AI) platform designed to give businesses in Oman access to multiple AI models without having to build expensive computing infrastructure of their own.

The Deep Astra application programming interface, or API, is being offered as a ‘sovereign AI’ service, meaning the technology is hosted locally and gives organisations greater control over how their data, models and access permissions are managed.

In practical terms, the platform acts as a single gateway through which companies, developers and small and medium enterprises can test and use different AI models.

Instead of connecting separately to each model or investing heavily in servers and other infrastructure, users can connect once, select the model best suited to a particular task and pay according to usage.

The companies say this could lower the cost and technical barriers to developing AI-based products, helping organisations move more quickly from experimentation to commercial deployment.

The service includes access to open-source AI models and is intended to support organisations with data-security, governance and compliance requirements through local hosting.

For smaller businesses and technology start-ups, the model could allow AI projects to begin on a limited scale before expanding as demand and operational capacity grow.

Otech will be responsible for making the service available locally and helping organisations adopt it, while Deep Astra will provide the underlying technology, including the unified interface and management of different AI models.

Maqbool bin Salem Al Wahibi, Acting CEO of Otech, said the partnership was aimed at making rapidly developing AI technologies more practical for organisations in Oman.

He said the platform offers “a fully integrated environment that can be managed, measured and developed according to each organisation’s priorities”, helping turn technology into economic and institutional value.

Deep Astra CEO Mahmoud Al Nafie said the partnership sought to make advanced AI available without compromising digital sovereignty. It gives organisations “greater control over their data, models and infrastructure”, he said.

The launch comes as Oman seeks to expand its digital economy and encourage private-sector investment in technology under Oman Vision 2040 and the Eleventh Five-Year Development Plan.