Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure for Balancing Ecological Conservation and Resource Use in Coastal Systems: A Stakeholder Perspective from the Sultanate of Oman

The coastal systems in Oman are important for fisheries, transport, energy, tourism and conservation. The activities produce marine data, which can be held by a number of different institutions and collected for sector-specific purposes. This is a qualitative study that explores the views of stakeholders on how a Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI) may help in ecological conservation and sustainable resource utilisation in Oman. A total of 15 stakeholders from 14 organisations from government, state-owned enterprises, the private sector and academia were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The cross-sector interview material across all of the interviews was coded according to eight coding domains: institutional roles, Oman Vision 2040, MSDI functions, challenges, applications, collaboration, resources, and emerging technologies. The analysis uncovered recurring issues with data gaps, governance and coordination, financing, technical capacity, and reported benefits for the fisheries, ports, navigation, environmental monitoring and spatial planning. The study suggests that the governance-led, interoperable, and phased approach of the MSDI can assist Oman Vision 2040 and SDG 14. The results suggest that, in Oman, MSDI development is limited not necessarily by technical issues but by governance and institutional influences, and that a development path through a phased process, starting with existing coordination mechanisms, is the most viable path.