DeepAstra and Z.AI announced a strategic partnership at LEAP 2026, marking a significant step in Oman’s growing role in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem.
The strategic partnership sets out a framework for DeepAstra to serve as Z.AI’s sole sovereign AI partner in Oman and will expand access to advanced AI capabilities, including Z.AI’s latest GLM family of models, through KwnX platform, Deep Astra’s integrated AI workspace designed for research, planning, content creation and coding. The platform provides access to advanced global AI models, including Z.AI’s flagship GLM-5.3 model, while enabling organizations to deploy AI within environments designed around national infrastructure, governance and data-control requirements.
The partnership will also advance plans to formalize an Oman Sovereign AI Development Center, with areas of collaboration including Arabic AI, model adaptation and evaluation, document intelligence and applied AI use cases. The Center will be anchored in Oman, with work intended for broader Arabic-speaking markets, reinforcing the country’s ambition to contribute meaningfully to regional AI innovation.
Omantel has played a key role in DeepAstra’s journey. Following the company’s investment by Omantel Innovation Labs, Omantel’s venture capital and startup support arm, Omantel also supports DeepAstra as a strategic infrastructure partner. This is a reflection of Omantel’s wider “Everyone AI” strategy, which aims to turn advances in artificial intelligence into practical applications with broader economic value. The strategy also combines investment in skills, technology and data infrastructure with responsible governance, partnerships and real-world deployment, helping create the conditions for AI solutions to move beyond experimentation and towards adoption at scale.
Commenting on the announcement, Her Highness Sayyida Ghada Al Said, General Manager of Omantel Innovation Labs, said: “DeepAstra’s partnership with Z.AI is a significant milestone for Oman’s AI ecosystem. It brings together global technology, local capability, and the infrastructure needed to develop and deploy advanced AI solutions from Oman. The focus on Arabic AI creates an opportunity for Oman not only to adopt advanced technologies, but to help shape solutions that are relevant to the region and scalable beyond it. At Omantel, we’re proud to support Deep Astra’s growth and to contribute to Oman’s emergence as a hub for AI innovation and advanced technologies.”
The partnership with Z.AI will advance DeepAstra’s growth across three areas: sovereign AI deployment in Oman, globally available products, and research designed for broader regional and international use.
"We are pleased to establish a strong partnership with DeepAstra. By combining DeepAstra's strong local capabilities and market reach with Z.ai’s leading foundation models and AI technologies, we look forward to accelerating the adoption of advanced AI solutions in Oman and supporting the country’s digital transformation ambitions,” said Robin Chen, Regional Manager for the Middle East at Z.ai."
Mahmoud Al Nafei, Co-Founder & CEO of DeepAstra, said: “AI sovereignty is not about limiting access to global innovation; it is about giving organisations the ability to adopt it on their own terms. Our partnership with Z.AI connects advanced GLM models with DeepAstra’s trusted national AI platform, providing organisations in Oman with a controlled, secure path to deploy AI while making the same innovation accessible globally through KwnX. With Omantel supporting our path to scale as a strategic infrastructure partner and investor, we are building the foundations for strong Arabic AI capabilities that serve Oman and the wider region.”
The announcement at LEAP 2026 was made with the support of Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology (MTCIT) highlighting the wider national ecosystem supporting the development and the adoption of advanced artifical intelligence technologies.
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Source: Omantel Press Release
