Entrepreneurship in Social-Media Services in Oman – A Socio-Economic Scanning of the Sultanate

The document explores the background of entrepreneurship and social media from the perspective of the Sultanate of Oman, and explores the prevalence and usage of social media and social media business services across the Arab world and in particular, Oman. The review of data and of available literature reveals that entrepreneurship is increasingly being promoted in Oman as part of a strategy to promote the diversification of economy in light of declining oil prices and depleting oil reserves. With a view of exploring the scope of social media related services as a means of entrepreneurial ventures, the potential benefits of social media for businesses, the possible opportunities and challenges in entrepreneurship in social media management and marketing services in Oman have been reviewed and highlighted. The review reveals that in Oman and across the Arab region, as social media usage by businesses is gaining prominence, the lack of digital skills could act as a promoter for outsourcing of social media to external social media service agencies. The studies also reveal the gap between client expectations and the currently available services. In this light, the study concludes that this is a viable area for research that merits further exploration.