Saturday 08 / August / 2026
Duqm: The 2026 Duqm Summer Series (DSS) centres on the people who will turn investment in Duqm into lasting economic value. Hosted by the Special Economic Zone at Duqm 23 - 25 August at the Crowne Plaza Duqm, the three-day event examines developments changing how companies operate and grow.
Held over three evenings, DSS opens with Intelligent Machines examining how AI and robotics are changing today’s workplace. The following evening, Leading Without a Playbook considers how executives make decisions when tariffs, geopolitical tensions and incomplete information leave little precedent. The Business of Culture closes the three-day series by examining how a company’s culture shapes the customer experience and, in turn, how the business is remembered.
Women made up 61% of graduates from higher education institutions in Oman in 2025. Many will enter the job market where AI is taking on work once handled by experienced teams and where skills are losing value faster than qualifications can be updated. They are also entering an economy creating new kinds of work. Oman’s non-oil activities generated OMR29.1 billion ($75.4bn) in 2025, including OMR4 billion ($10.4bn) from manufacturing. Non-oil activity increased 5.9% in Q1 2026. Growth is widening career choices available to graduates, although it will also expose them to industries changing faster than many employers expected.
Hanan Al Siyabi, Section Head, Tourism & Lifestyle at SEZAD said the consequences is reaching well beyond IT departments. “AI is changing who does the work and what employers value. Effects are being felt in recruitment and career progression. Women starting work today will face choices many established leaders didn’t meet at the same stage of their careers. We want the DSS to be a place where those experiences are discussed honestly and openly, including the occasions when there was no ready-made answer.”
Worldwide spending on AI is forecast to hit $2.5 trillion this year, up 44% on 2025. Much of that expenditure is going into infrastructure, although its impact will reach ordinary workplaces. Tasks once handled by teams can already be completed by one person using these systems. The resulting decisions will not be confined to headcount. Employers will need to decide which experience remains valuable and who carries responsibility when automated tools influence the outcome.
Technology is only one source of pressure. Trade tariffs can alter the dynamics of an export market almost overnight while geopolitical tensions can interrupt supply chains and raise shipping costs. Executives still have to act before they know how long the disruption will last or whether a decision will look sensible six months later.
The Business of Culture examines the role culture plays in how a company operates, not only how it presents itself. It shapes what customers receive and how they are treated. Marketing may attract the public’s attention but the experience of dealing with the business is what people remember.
The DSS speakers bring a wealth of experience from academia and business. Sultan Qaboos University and the Royal Academy of Management will take part, alongside Development Bank and Sohar International Bank. SalamAir and OQ8 are also represented, as are OPAZ and the Ministry of Economy. Founders working in technology and design complete the three-day line-up.
SEZAD sees the development of Duqm’s workforce as critical to its continued growth and success. Large scale investment is creating new opportunities. SEZAD also wants to ensure the people already contributing to Duqm can continue to grow with it.
DSS participation is open to women from Duqm and elsewhere in Oman.
