Muscat — November 6, 2025: The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP), has hosted the regional meeting of Technology and Innovation Support Centres (TISCs) in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The two-day event brought together representatives from across the Arab region, alongside intellectual property and innovation experts, to discuss the role of TISCs in fostering research, innovation, and knowledge-based economies.
Opening the meeting, Nasra bint Sultan Al Habsiyah, Director General of Commerce at MoCIIP, said that hosting the event reflects Oman’s commitment to strengthening the intellectual property ecosystem and promoting innovation in line with Oman Vision 2040. She highlighted Oman’s growing TISC network, developed through its 2021 cooperation agreement with WIPO, which provides researchers and innovators with access to global patent databases, technical resources, and training in patent analysis.
Specialized workshops were also held to enhance national capacities in IP data management, patent analytics, and innovation support, reinforcing the contribution of universities and research institutions to Oman’s innovation ecosystem.
Dr. Maha Bakhit Zaki, Minister Plenipotentiary and Head of the Intellectual Property and Competitiveness Department at the League of Arab States, commended Oman’s leadership and regional progress in expanding the TISC network. She noted that since WIPO’s initiative began in 2009, Arab countries have established over 150 innovation and technology support centres, serving as engines of economic and industrial development.
She emphasized the League’s goal to create an Arab Innovation Network, linking national innovation hubs across the region to support collaboration, funding access, and commercialization of inventions.
The event showcased country case studies, reviewed updates from the TISC programme, and explored strategies for advancing innovation-driven growth. Oman’s growing TISC framework demonstrates the nation’s ongoing efforts to integrate intellectual property into its economic diversification and innovation agenda.
