Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation

What Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation does

The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MoHERI) is the government body of the Sultanate of Oman responsible for higher-education policy, scientific research, and innovation, headquartered in Muscat. Operating through the Research and Innovation Authority (RIA), it coordinates Oman's national research ecosystem and serves academic researchers, student entrepreneurs, government institutions, industry partners, and young researchers affiliated with all Omani higher-education institutions. The Ministry operates with no commercial revenue; it is funded through state budget allocations and distributes programs at no direct cost to recipients.

The Ministry's core infrastructure is a set of seven digital platforms: the Research Information Management System (RIMS), built on Thomson Reuters Converis for proposal submission and tracking; the Oman Research and Education Network (OMREN), a high-speed communications network operated with Oman Telecommunications (عمانتل) that links Omani institutions to global R&E networks; Shuaa, an open repository of Omani research outputs; Masader, a virtual science library aggregating content from EBSCO, IEEE, ICE, IGI Global, and Dar Almandumah; Taawun, a research collaboration platform integrating WebEx, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams; Mueadaat, a lab-equipment booking platform; and iLab, deployed with Agilent Technologies. Two wholly-owned operating subsidiaries extend the mandate: Mawarid (established 2012), which conserves animal, plant, and microbial genetic resources, and the Institute of Advanced Technology Integration (IATI / EJAAD / إيجاد), which conducts applied research at technology readiness levels 4–9 for industry commercialization.

Programs are organized across three layers. Research funding is delivered through Strategic Research Projects, Block Funding (Research Grants, Graduate Research Grants, Undergraduate Research Grants), Publication Support, and joint funding with Sultan Qaboos Scientific Chairs. Innovation infrastructure is delivered through Innovation Park Muscat — a physical hub adjacent to Sultan Qaboos University — and the Innovation Centers Support Program, which expands centers into higher-education institutions. Capacity-building and recognition run through the National Research Award (launched 2014), the Upgrade Program (أبجريد) for converting student graduation projects into startups, the Falling Walls Lab Competition with the German Falling Walls Foundation, the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings program, and the London International Youth Science Forum. Activities are exclusively domestic in geographic scope and are aligned with Oman Vision 2040.

Name

Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation

Legal name

Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation

Website

https://moheri.gov.om

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MoHERI) is the Omani government body coordinating national higher education, scientific research, and innovation. It funds research, operates digital platforms including RIMS, OMREN, Shuaa, and Masader, and serves universities, researchers, students, and industry across Oman aligned with Vision 2040.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Research and Innovation Administration

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO)

Keywords

• Government research funding
• Research information systems
• Academic network infrastructure
• Scientific library access
• Innovation park services

Headquarters

HQ city

Muscat

HQ country

Oman

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Allocation: As a government ministry, the Research and Innovation Authority is funded through state budget allocations. The Ministry distributes research grants and block funding to academic and research institutions.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Ministry operates Oman's national research and innovation ecosystem, providing research grant funding, digital research platforms (RIMS, OMREN, Masader, Shuaa, Taawun), access to global scientific databases, innovation park facilities, and capacity-building programs to academic researchers, students, institutions, and industry partners across the Sultanate of Oman. It funds and coordinates research aligned with Oman Vision 2040, supports publication in international journals, and bridges industry-academia collaboration through the EJAAD institute.

Product overview

The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation operates a comprehensive research and innovation ecosystem through the Oman Research Portal as its main platform. The portfolio consists of core platforms including the Research Information Management System (RIMS) built on Thomson Reuters Converis, the Oman Research and Education Network (OMREN) for high-speed research connectivity, the Oman Research Repository (Shuaa) for open access to Omani research, and the Oman Virtual Science Library (Masader) for access to international databases. Research support is delivered through programs including Strategic Research Projects, Block Funding (Research Grants, Graduate Research Grants, Undergraduate Research Grants), Publication Support, and the Institute of Advanced Technology Integration (EJAAD/IATI). Additional infrastructure includes Innovation Park Muscat, the Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Center (Mawarid), and the Innovation Centers Support Program. Capacity building is achieved through the National Research Award, Upgrade Program for converting graduation projects to startups, Falling Walls Lab Competition, Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, and the London International Youth Science Forum. Supporting platforms include Taawun for research collaboration and Mueadaat for lab equipment booking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oman Research Portal (بوابة عمان البحثية) The main digital portal for the Sultanate of Oman's research and innovation ecosystem, providing access to research platforms, capacity building programs, research support centers, and employee services.
• Research Information Management System (RIMS)

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Oman Telecommunications Company (عمانتل)coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership for OMREN (Oman Research and Education Network), providing high-speed communications infrastructure connecting Omani academic and research institutions to each other and to global networks.
• Falling Walls FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman non-profit foundation partnering with RIA to organize the Falling Walls Lab Competition in Oman. Winners qualify for the international competition in Berlin.
• Thomson Reuters (Clarivate)coreTechnology or IntegrationLicenses Converis platform for the Research Information Management System (RIMS), providing online research proposal submission, tracking, and researcher profile management.
• EBSCOcoreTechnology or IntegrationContent provider for Masader (Oman Virtual Science Library), supplying access to full-text publications and research databases.
• IEEEcoreTechnology or IntegrationContent provider for Masader virtual library, providing access to engineering and technology research publications.
• Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)coreTechnology or IntegrationContent provider for Masader virtual library, supplying civil engineering research resources.
• IGI GlobalcoreTechnology or IntegrationContent provider for Masader virtual library, providing information science and technology research databases.
• Dar Almandumah (دار المنظومة)coreTechnology or IntegrationContent provider for Masader virtual library, supplying Arabic-language academic resources.
• Sultan Qaboos Scientific ChairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research program providing joint funding between RIA and chair-hosting institutions for research teams and innovators.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR): Kuwait's national scientific research institution conducting applied research and operating specialized research centers. Comparable as a state-funded Gulf research body executing national R&D priorities across multiple disciplines.
• Qatar Foundation: Qatar's national non-profit foundation coordinating research, education, and innovation across the country. Closest comparable to MoHERI as a centralized Gulf authority funding research grants, operating universities, and building an innovation ecosystem aligned with national diversification goals.
• King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST): Saudi Arabia's national R&D authority funding strategic research, operating research institutes, and coordinating technology commercialization. Directly comparable as a Gulf state entity governing the full research-to-innovation pipeline.

Others

• National Research Foundation (South Africa): South Africa's national research funding agency supporting research, innovation, and researcher development. Comparable as a national-level research funding body with grants, institutional support, and research infrastructure mandates, though geographically distant.
• Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO): Intergovernmental Islamic world organization supporting education, science, and culture across OIC member states including Oman. Comparable as a higher-tier body that channels international research and education cooperation programs to Omani institutions.

Broad incumbents

• King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST): A flagship Saudi research-intensive university with massive endowment, world-class research facilities, and technology transfer programs. Operates at much larger scale but pursues a comparable mission of building Gulf research capacity, commercialization, and international scientific standing.

Regional players

• Bahrain Higher Education Council: Bahrain's national regulator for higher education quality and research governance. Smaller in scope than MoHERI but operates a comparable role as a GCC higher education and research coordinating body.
• UAE Ministry of Education: UAE's federal education authority overseeing higher education policy, research coordination, and institutional licensing. Comparable as a neighboring Gulf ministry governing higher education and research strategy, though it operates without the dedicated R&D authority structure MoHERI has.
• Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK): Abu Dhabi's emirate-level education and knowledge authority funding research, scholarships, and academic institutions. Comparable as a sub-national Gulf authority coordinating education and research with grant-making and innovation mandates.

Emerging players

• Arab Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF): UAE-based NGO promoting Arab scientific R&D, technology transfer, and innovation capacity-building. Comparable in mission around research ecosystem development in the Arab world but operates as a non-governmental entity rather than a sovereign authority.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/moheriom
• Facebookfacebook.com/moheoman

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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