Royal Grant in Support of e.oman reaches beneficiaries in different parts of the sultanate

This week will witness the distribution of 1541 laptop bundles to the beneficiaries of the social insurance in a number of the Sultanate's wilayats as part of the Royal Grant bestowed by HM Sultan Qaboos – may God protect him. This grant will enable the different categories and segments of the society to use computers and internet and to promote their participation in the building of Oman’s Digital Society. A total of 1290 PCs will be distributed this week in the wilayats of Bidiya, Al Qamil, Wadi Bani Khalid, Jalan Bani Bu Hassan, and Jalan Bani Bu Ali in the Al Sharqiyah Region. This will also be accompanied by the distribution of 250 PCs in the wilayats of Khasab, Madeha, Dibba, and Bakha in the Governorate of Musandam.

Laptops bundles were also distributed last week in a number of the Sultanate’s regions and governorates. The Distribution Supervising Team paid a visit to the wilayats of Muscat Governorate, Al Buraimi Governorate, Al Dhakiliya Region, Al Dahira Region and a number of wilayat in Al Sharqiyah Region. Approximately 3395 computers had been distributed by last Saturday.

Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) has generously offered free-of-charge internet services to the recipients of the Royal Grant. It will also provide them with free modems and exempt them from the internet connection fees and monthly charges estimated at 12 Rials. This is in addition to granting a monthly 1 GB free download service for families and students belonging to the social insurance category for a period of one year. Higher education students and teachers will also benefit from the Royal Grant will also receive the same for a period of three months.

Distribution Supervising Teams at the Information Technology Authority (ITA) will also pay visit to the remaining regions to distribute computers. Next week will witness the distribution of 799 PCs in the wilayats of Sur, Al Mudhaibi and Masirah in the Al Sharqiyah Region, in addition to the distribution of another 273 laptop bundles in the wilayats of Al Wusta Region.

Conceived in the mid of January 2010, the Royal Grant in Support of e.oman was designed to entitle one free PC for each beneficiary family of the social insurance that has at least one child or more registered in the K-12 school system and one free PC per student in these families who are presently enrolled in higher education studies. The Grant also includes subsidy on the cost of computer for students enrolled in the first year for higher education in the Sultanate, in addition to teachers who are graduates of the Government IT Training & Certification Programme (GITTC). The Royal Grant not only entitles the recipient to not only a computer/laptop, but a ‘bundled package’ which includes the laptop, laptop bag, mouse, MS Office Suite CD (licence), computer literacy training voucher, and Omantel’s generous Internet offer.

This Royal Grant was established in an effort to enhance the IT abilities and skills of citizens. It also contributes to increasing the internet penetration rate in Oman and encourages them to familiarize themselves with digital communication, have easy access to information and electronic services, and stay up to date with emerging technological developments.