Oman denies cyberattack behind widespread power outage, cites technical fault at power plant

A sudden power outage that affected parts of several governorates in Oman on Sunday has now been fully resolved, with authorities confirming that the incident was caused by a technical fault—not a cyberattack as speculated. The national grid is stable, and a comprehensive investigation is underway to identify the root cause and assess operational response.

Refuting cyberattack claims amid full restoration

On Tuesday, the Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR) firmly denied speculation that a cyberattack was behind the widespread power outage in Oman. In a televised interview, the APSR spokesperson described the circulating claims as “baseless and unfounded.” The Authority clarified that preliminary findings point to a technical malfunction in one of the power generation stations as the cause of the disruption.

The APSR also reiterated in an official statement that the national electricity grid remains stable and functional. It urged the public to rely solely on verified sources for information and avoid spreading unverified claims.

“Such incidents require extensive investigation to determine the precise technical reasons behind them. However, according to the available preliminary data, the incident resulted from a technical malfunction in one of the power generation stations, which naturally led to a sudden power outage, resulting in outages in the network,” the official APSR spokesperson stated.

A specialized technical team has been formed to investigate the outage in detail. The APSR confirmed it will evaluate the response of licensed companies as part of the investigation and take legal and regulatory measures as necessary, in line with the frameworks governing the Sultanate’s electricity sector.

Timeline of the outage and recovery efforts

The incident occurred on Sunday, September 14, 2025, when several areas across multiple governorates in Oman experienced a sudden disruption in electricity supply. The Authority for Public Services Regulation initially announced a “sudden partial outage in the electricity network” and confirmed that licensed companies had immediately taken action to restore service.

Nama Electricity Distribution Company (NEDC) announced that electricity supply was fully restored across all areas in Muscat Governorate after technical teams completed restoration work.

“The Authority for Public Services Regulation announces a sudden partial outage in the electricity network in several areas across some governorates of the Sultanate of Oman,” the APSR said in an earlier press statement.

“Licensed companies immediately took the necessary measures, and service has been restored in most affected areas. Efforts are currently ongoing to restore service to the remaining areas as soon as possible,” the Authority added at the time.

Ongoing investigation and regulatory follow-up
The APSR confirmed that it is closely monitoring the aftermath of the outage. A dedicated technical team is now examining operational and engineering aspects of the incident. This includes determining the exact sequence of events at the generation plant where the malfunction occurred and how promptly the licensed electricity providers responded.

The Authority stated that it will exercise its full regulatory role as outlined by law, ensuring reliability in service delivery and protection of consumer rights.

As part of its commitment to transparency and regulatory oversight, APSR affirmed that:

• It will assess how swiftly licensed companies acted to restore power;
  
• Necessary legal and regulatory actions will be taken based on investigation outcomes;
  
• Technical findings will be shared in due course once confirmed.

Consumer guidance and contact information
The APSR has advised consumers who continue to face any issues with their electricity supply to directly contact the licensed electricity provider through the dedicated call centre at 1011.

The Authority emphasized that only official communication channels should be used to seek updates and urged the public not to spread or rely on unverified information, particularly in situations that could affect public services and safety.