Muscat — Oman’s Hadatha Hackathon has produced high-quality, market-ready cybersecurity solutions, highlighting the growing maturity and capability of national talent, according to the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology.
Badr Ali Al Salhi, Director General of Oman National CERT, said the hackathon stood out for its clear focus on the telecommunications sector, one of the most critical pillars of the digital economy. He noted that participants developed practical prototypes rooted in real operational challenges rather than theoretical concepts.
“What distinguished this hackathon was its sector-specific approach, where challenges were identified based on actual needs within the telecommunications market,” Al Salhi said. He added that the active involvement of regulators and telecom operators helped ensure solutions were realistic, deployable, and aligned with industry requirements.
The event attracted 142 participants across 46 teams, reflecting rising national interest in cybersecurity as a strategic career and investment field. Participants addressed key issues including user data protection, digital identity security, subscriber device safety, telecom-related cyber fraud, AI-driven security applications, cloud security, 5G protection, compliance monitoring, and cybersecurity awareness.
Al Salhi emphasized that expert participation from government and industry helped bridge the gap between innovation and real-world application. He also highlighted the importance of public-private collaboration in building a sustainable cybersecurity ecosystem that supports local innovation, strengthens digital resilience, and contributes to Oman’s broader digital economy goals.
He noted that many of the solutions demonstrated strong commercial potential, given their grounding in real market needs, and could evolve into viable products or services that enhance local content and national cybersecurity capabilities.
