Wednesday 28 / October / 2026
Muscat: The Arab Innovators and Talents Conference, at the conclusion of its proceedings on Wednesday at the Arab Open University in the Sultanate of Oman, recommended launching a joint Arab strategic project to produce artificial intelligence technologies, an Arab initiative for digital sovereignty, the establishment of an Arab network for innovators and researchers, and the launch of the "Arab Open Challenges Registry" initiative.
The conference affirmed the importance of enhancing Arab integration in the fields of energy, water, food, environment and health, and protecting intellectual property for innovations through an Arab intellectual property mentoring programme under the name "Patent Clinics."
The event was organised by the Research and Innovation Authority in cooperation with Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and the Arab Open University in the Sultanate of Oman, and in coordination with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).
The conference outcomes emphasised the importance of advancing Arab innovation from the stage of generating ideas to practical application by building sustainable partnerships, investing in young Arab talent, and enabling them to transform their creativity into leading projects that contribute to sustainable development and improve quality of life in the region.
Participants called for launching a joint initiative to develop agrivoltaic solutions, establish an Arab network for testing and developing local building materials, and strengthen the incubator system to ensure the conversion of innovations into practical applications.
The closing ceremony announced the winning projects in the poster exhibition and invention and innovation structures competition, which resulted in seven innovative projects winning first places.
Dr. Abdulrazzaq Mahfouz from the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria took first place, innovator Samia Al Riyami from the Sultanate of Oman took second place, and Youssef Wirzgan from the Kingdom of Morocco took third place.
Sara Sufyan Guirat from the Tunisian Republic took fourth place, followed by Sultan Al Busaidi from the Sultanate of Oman in fifth place. Sixth place went to Dr. Kawthar Ali from the State of Kuwait, while Dr. Heba Al Hamed from the Syrian Arab Republic took seventh place.
The judging committee based its evaluation of projects on criteria including originality, feasibility, impact and sustainability from a technical and technological standpoint, as well as the quality of poster design, presentation and communication skills of exhibitors. The competing projects were distributed across five main themes: renewable energy and green hydrogen, food security and smart agriculture, medical and biological technology, water and environmental technologies, and green and sustainable architecture.
More than 90 participants took part in the three-day conference, held under the slogan "Inspiring Innovation.. Prosperous Development," including 22 innovators from outside the Sultanate of Oman and a select group of experts and specialists.
