The Projects, Tenders and Local Content Authority organized today (Sunday) the Government Projects Forum 2026 at the Exhibition Hall of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, under the patronage of H.E. Eng. Bader Bin Salem ALMamari, Chairman of the Authority, and in the presence of officials and specialists from government and private entities, as well as representatives of companies and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). A wide package of approved and under-study government projects was reviewed, in addition to discussions on tendering and award mechanisms and the enhancement of local content.
During the forum, the Authority revealed that the total estimated value of upcoming projects exceeds OMR 1.5 billion, including more than OMR 475 million for projects currently approved, while projects under study exceed OMR 1 billion. This reflects the continued momentum in implementing development plans and supporting economic growth in the Sultanate of Oman.
Data presented at the forum confirmed that SME opportunities from approved projects exceed OMR 90 million, while opportunities in projects under study surpass OMR 203 million, reinforcing the Authority’s direction toward empowering national companies and increasing the percentage of local content in government contracts.
The Authority indicated that more than 10,000 tenders are planned to be floated through 57 government entities, distributed across eight main sectors: urban and maintenance contracting; ports, roads, bridges, railways, dams and maintenance; pipeline networks and well drilling; consultancy services; electromechanical and telecommunications contracting; supplies; general services; and information technology services.
In the construction sector, the Authority reviewed projects distributed across the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman, including ports, roads, dams, buildings, public facilities and maintenance works, in addition to pipeline networks and well drilling projects. The timing of each project’s tender launch and its status (approved or under study) were specified, giving companies a forward-looking view to prepare and plan accordingly.
Regarding geographic distribution, Muscat Governorate recorded the highest number of tenders under study with 413 tenders, followed by South Al Batinah with 129 tenders, and North Al Batinah with 101 tenders. As for approved tenders, Muscat also ranked first with 314 tenders, followed by South Al Sharqiyah with 111 tenders, and Dhofar with 69 tenders.
H.E. Eng. Bader Bin Salem ALMamari stated that the forum represents an advanced national platform to strengthen transparency and clarity in the announcement of government projects and tenders, and to enable private sector companies to gain early access to project plans to be floated during 2026. This enhances companies’ readiness and competitiveness, ensures transparent competition, and reinforces fairness and equal opportunity across sectors.
He explained that the reviewed government projects—both approved and under study—have a total estimated value exceeding OMR 1.5 billion, including more than OMR 475 million for approved projects and over OMR 1 billion for projects under study, reflecting the scale of development activity and the diversity of investment opportunities available to local companies.
He added that such forums provide an opportunity for stakeholders to sit at one table in specialized dialogue sessions to discuss tendering and award mechanisms, evaluation criteria, and challenges faced by companies during bid submission, in addition to reviewing government directions toward sustainability in construction projects and digital transformation in the IT sector, thereby enhancing integration between government entities and the private sector.
On local content, he affirmed that the Authority places great importance on expanding the participation of national companies and SMEs, with SME opportunities exceeding OMR 90 million in approved projects and more than OMR 203 million in projects under study. This contributes to stimulating national supply chains and increasing added value in the local economy.
He added that the sectors of construction, supplies and general services, information technology, electromechanical contracting, and consultancy represent key areas for tendering, offering diverse opportunities across the governorates and ensuring balanced geographic and sectoral distribution in support of comprehensive development.
The Chairman emphasized that the forum embodies an institutional approach based on dialogue and partnership, reflecting the Authority’s commitment to empowering the private sector, encouraging fair competition, and enhancing local content to achieve the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 and support development across various sectors.
In his speech at the forum, Eng. Said bin Hamad ALamri, Director General of Tenders at the Authority, stated that this second edition of the forum builds on the success of the first edition held in 2024, which marked a milestone in enhancing transparency and equal opportunity and served as a genuine platform for partnership between the Authority and the private sector.
He noted that in 2025, tenders worth more than OMR 1.7 billion were awarded through the Tender Board, reflecting clear confidence, efficient performance, and the accelerating pace of development projects.
Building on that success, this year’s forum continues the Authority’s commitment to providing essential project data and information and enabling companies—especially SMEs—to plan early and compete fairly.
He added that the forum goes beyond reviewing projects, opening broad dialogue on key development issues, particularly strengthening local content as a strategic lever for the national economy and a key tool to maximize the developmental impact of government projects. Discussions also cover tendering and award mechanisms, practical challenges during execution and ways to address them, supplier registration and qualification procedures, and framework agreements aimed at broadening participation and improving the efficiency of government contracting.
He called on private sector partners to engage in positive competition, improve the quality of submitted bids, and enhance local content in all its forms—supporting national products, localizing expertise, and empowering SMEs—as key pillars for achieving the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
Data presented at the forum showed that port, road, bridge, railway, dam, and maintenance contracting accounted for 58.29% of total approved estimated values and 47.26% of projects under study, reflecting a focus on strategic infrastructure projects.
Supplies ranked second with 15.53% of approved values and 10.56% of projects under study, followed by services at 8.57% of approved and 5.60% of under-study values.
Urban contracting and maintenance represented 7.68% of approved values but a higher 27.75% among projects under study, indicating expected expansion in this sector. Electromechanical and telecommunications contracting accounted for 4.23% of approved values and 1.05% of projects under study, while IT services represented 4.07% of approved and 3.39% of under-study values.
The forum included four specialized dialogue sessions. The general session discussed the Authority’s approach to managing government projects, with participation from leadership of the Authority, the National Local Content Office, and the Project Follow-up Office. The second session focused on the construction sector, reviewing 2026 projects, tendering mechanisms, technical and financial evaluation criteria, key challenges facing contractors, SME participation opportunities, and sustainability trends.
The third session addressed the supplies and general services sector, discussing future government needs, qualification and registration procedures, government framework contracts, compliance challenges, opportunities for new suppliers to enter the government market, and the promotion of national products.
The fourth session focused on the IT sector, reviewing government directions in digital transformation, information security, technical infrastructure, approved contracting models, technical challenges during implementation, company qualification requirements, and opportunities for innovation and local solutions.
Eng. Turki bin Suliman ALHsani, Director General of Statistics and Electronic Systems, announced the launch of the “Isnad” mobile application as part of ongoing efforts to enhance digital transformation and improve the quality and efficiency of government services. The application enables beneficiaries to access tender services easily, track procedures in real time, and review related data transparently and securely, in line with the highest standards of quality and information security.
He emphasized that the launch reflects the Authority’s commitment to leveraging modern technologies and digital innovation, strengthening institutional integration, improving data flow, supporting decision-makers, optimizing resource utilization, and enhancing institutional performance.
The forum is organized within the framework of enhancing transparency and early access to government project information, providing the private sector with clearer visibility and greater readiness to compete, improving the efficiency of the projects and tenders system, and generating added value for the national economy through empowering Omani companies and expanding participation in development projects.