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How Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Oman Are Building the Middle East’s Chip Future

Key numbers of the International Semiconductor Executive Summit Oman (Source: Mohammed Tmimi)

leading to C-level visits from leading companies such as SK Hynix, approaching the semiconductor challenge in its own way, guided by its
Nvidia, and Renesas. resources, priorities, and vision for the future.
A second edition is planned for December 2025, signaling that Oman Egypt is building on what it already has: a deep pool of talented,
understands the importance of ecosystem positioning and soft power. multilingual engineers and a long track record in chip design. It’s not
starting from zero, but what it lacks right now is the kind of risk-taking
A long road with real challenges capital that deep tech needs to scale. There’s plenty of brainpower but
Oman’s semiconductor ambitions face several serious challenges: not yet enough investment appetite to match.
· Talent shortage. The country currently lacks a domestic work- Saudi Arabia is coming at the challenge from a different angle, with
force with experience in semiconductor design, packaging, or bold ambition and serious capital. It’s building the foundations from
manufacturing. the ground up: talent pipelines, infrastructure, partnerships, and
· Supply chain limitations. Access to critical raw materials, tools, and research hubs. It’s also leveraging its regional influence to make itself
partners is complicated by its geographic and economic position. an attractive destination for global players. It’s not just entering the
· Capital challenges. Even back-end operations like OSAT require game; it’s trying to change the rules.
considerable investment, clean room facilities, and precision Oman, on the other hand, is taking a quieter, more collaborative
equipment. route. It’s not trying to become a chip giant overnight. Instead, it’s
· Global competition. Oman is entering the field just as other coun- pursuing mutually beneficial partnerships, carving a niche in OSAT,
tries, including much larger, better-resourced ones, are doubling and gradually building local expertise. It’s a thoughtful approach—one
down on their own semiconductor strategies. that matches ambition with realism.
What’s powerful is that these different approaches don’t cancel each
A smart start, but execution is everything other out; rather, they can work together. Egypt’s talent, Saudi’s capital
Oman’s entry into the semiconductor space is thoughtful and well- and scale, and Oman’s focus on partnerships and regional positioning
sequenced, anchored in geopolitical awareness and a willingness to could prove complementary. As each country tackles a different part of
play the long game. By focusing on OSAT first, attracting partners the semiconductor puzzle, together they’re helping shape something
such as GSME, and building international visibility through ISES, the bigger than the sum of their parts.
country is laying the groundwork for a differentiated position in the They do not expect overnight success. This is a long game that takes
Middle East. decades of investment, training, and coordination to pay off. But the
But the path forward is neither short nor guaranteed. Oman must fact that they’re even in the game—and thinking long-term—shows
back its vision with deep investment in human capital, cross-sectoral that the Middle East is ready to play a more active role in one of the
coordination, and bold but disciplined execution. world’s most strategic industries. ■
FINAL THOUGHTS Mohammed Tmimi is an independent strategy and market research
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Oman aren’t all trying to do the same consultant specializing in semiconductors, with a focus on supporting
thing, and that’s what makes their stories interesting. Each one is investment decisions.

JUNE 2025 | www.eetimes.eu