23 June 2026

BankDhofar Completes First Phase

of Landmark IT Systems Upgrade

BankDhofar, the Sultanate of Oman’s largest bank by branch network size, has announced the successful completion of the first phase of a major upgrade of its technology systems, replacing older, heavily centralized systems with a more modern and flexible digital platform.


The transition, carried out with the support of global technology firm Desert Spark, forms a key part of the bank’s wider digital transformation strategy and supports the objectives of Oman Vision 2040, including strengthening local expertise and advancing the country’s digital economy.


Before beginning the upgrade, Desert Spark conducted a detailed review of the bank’s technology environment, covering more than 70 systems and over 1,000 digital connections between them. The review used artificial intelligence tools to help analyze the systems and develop a roadmap for the future technology setup, which was later tested through a working pilot model.


During the first phase, the Desert Spark team migrated several banking services from the bank’s older IBM-based platform to a newer open-source system. The services were rebuilt using updated programming tools, integrated into a unified environment, and subjected to extensive testing.


For the pilot stage, BankDhofar selected a number of important banking functions, including card-related services and other core operations. This enabled the project team to refine the migration process before expanding it across the bank’s wider technology infrastructure.


Artificial intelligence was mainly used during this phase to speed up the preparation of technical documentation. Desert Spark produced detailed system descriptions, diagrams and reports to support future expansion and maintenance of the platform. According to the company, the use of AI tools reduced documentation preparation time by more than 70 per cent while improving transparency and consistency.


At the same time, the bank maintained traditional review and testing procedures for software development to ensure the reliability, clarity and long-term maintainability of the upgraded systems.


Commenting on the achievement, Dr Tariq Saleh Mohamed Taha, CIO of BankDhofar, said:

“The implementation of the pilot migration scope is an important step in our strategy to move towards open technologies. We highly value Desert Spark’s approach, which combines deep technical and industry expertise with flexibility in applying advanced tools. The documentation we received and the proven migration mechanism give us confidence in the next steps to upgrade our IT landscape and improve operational efficiency.”
Dr. Tariq Saleh Taha
CIO, BankDhofar

Alexey Lebedev, Head of the Banking & Finance Department at Desert Spark, added:

“The first migration phase is a significant milestone in our collaboration with BankDhofar. Close cooperation with the bank’s team has allowed us to build a solid foundation for effectively implementing the transformation strategy and to develop an approach that can later be scaled across the entire IT infrastructure. We value this joint work and are grateful to the team for their openness and trust.”
Alexey Lebedev
Head of Banking and Finance Department

About Desert Spark


Desert Spark is a technology and investment company committed to driving digital transformation in the Middle East and adjacent markets. By combining strategic investments with cutting-edge solutions - AI, Cloud, Data, Microservices, Open Banking, and E-government - Desert Spark accelerates growth and creates a brighter future for businesses, governments, and communities.


About BankDhofar


BankDhofar is one of the leading financial institutions in the Sultanate of Oman, offering a comprehensive range of banking products and services to individuals, businesses, and institutions. Committed to innovation and customer excellence, the bank continuously invests in technology to enhance its service delivery and operational efficiency.