Major Breakthrough Achieved in Government Project
Efficiency

Muscat, 28 Oct (ONA) — The Projects,
Tenders and Local Content Authority has announced significant performance
improvements across Oman’s government projects sector during the previous year (2024)
and the first half of the current year (2025). Key achievements include a
substantial 43 percent reduction in tender estimated costs, generating
financial savings exceeding RO 30 million through enhanced governance
frameworks and public expenditure optimization initiatives.

Tender
issuance demonstrated notable growth, reaching 100 tenders during 2024 with an
additional 26 tenders released in the first half of 2025, reflecting strengthened
advance planning capabilities and accelerated project implementation timelines.
Change order management showed considerable improvement with a 24 percent
reduction, indicating advanced project monitoring mechanisms and technical
oversight effectiveness.

Eng. Badr bin
Salim Al Maamari, Chairman of the Projects, Tenders and Local Content
Authority, emphasized that these outcomes demonstrate Oman’s strategic
commitment to realizing “Oman Vision 2040” objectives through
optimized public expenditure and enhanced governance standards in government
project management. “The reduction in tender estimated costs and
substantial financial savings across government projects and procurement
activities represent the successful implementation of project governance
frameworks, cost control measures, updated regulatory bylaws, and document
cycle management,” stated Al Maamari. He highlighted that coordinated
integration among various government entities has been instrumental in
achieving optimal resource utilization and maximizing value from public
expenditure.

He further noted that the Authority maintains
steady progress in developing comprehensive government project and contract
management systems while implementing international best practices. “Our
commitment to transparency and operational efficiency is demonstrated through
electronic platform deployment for tender management and government project
implementation, significantly enhancing performance metrics and accelerating
developmental project execution that directly impacts both society and national
economic growth,” he added.

Al Maamari affirmed
that these initiatives embody core principles of governance, sustainability,
and institutional integration, reinforcing Oman’s comprehensive approach to
sustainable development while strengthening its position as an attractive
investment destination and regional center of excellence in government project
management.

Eng. Said bin
Hamad Al Amri, Director General of Tenders at the Projects, Tenders and Local
Content Authority, reported a 13 percent increase in awarded tender volume
during the previous year (2024) compared to 2023 figures, while the total award
value decreased by 12.6 percent to RO 786.6 million. Change orders showed
significant improvement, declining to 54 instances in 2024 compared to 71 recorded
in 2023.

“The
Authority achieved financial savings exceeding RO 15 million through tender
optimization and an additional RO 6 million through enhanced project governance
and advanced technical methodologies in contract evaluation and implementation,”
Al Amri stated. These results demonstrate the success of ongoing expenditure
rationalization, cost control measures, and continuous improvement in
government project awarding and execution mechanisms.

Regarding
government procurement, the Director General reported additional savings of RO
5.7 million during the first half of the current year (2025) through strategic
initiatives including Microsoft educational license procurement and renewal for
government educational institutions, alongside student desk supply and
installation projects for Ministry of Education’s schools.

Previous year
(2024) achievements included RO 3.9 million in procurement savings through
multiple initiatives: replacement of aging air conditioning systems in Ministry
of Education’s schools (phases three and four), Sultan Qaboos University (SQU)
student transportation services, framework contracts for textbook printing,
university student housing provisions, computer supply for information
technology curriculum implementation in primary schools, upgrades to the
“Esnad” electronic tendering system, and operation and maintenance
contract renewals.

Al Amri added that the Authority has
established comprehensive government project management governance through
collaborative engagement with relevant stakeholders, developing an integrated
database for ongoing projects that tracks key performance indicators including
cost, schedule, and quality metrics. This initiative has enabled early
identification of project challenges, empowered specialized teams to implement
proactive corrective measures, and enhanced development budget performance
monitoring.

He pointed out
that through Adaa, the official government platform for Projects Management,
the Authority maintains continuous monitoring and updating of project technical
and financial data, ensuring information accuracy while providing analytical
dashboards for ongoing project performance evaluation. This system enables
identification of sector-specific challenges and opportunities, supports new
project assessment and planning, facilitates precise schedule management and
monitoring, ensures implementation quality standards, and promotes rapid
adaptation to project changes – collectively ensuring optimal resource
utilization and targeted developmental impact achievement.

Eng. Abdullah
bin Humaid Al Habsi, Head of the Projects Follow-up Office at the Projects,
Tenders and Local Content Authority, reported that the Authority has conducted
comprehensive procedural reviews of government project implementation
frameworks in collaboration with multiple government entities and private
sector representatives. This re-engineering initiative aims to enhance project
management efficiency while elevating governance and transparency standards.

He added that
over recent periods, the Authority has conducted more than 25 specialized
workshops and technical meetings addressing development project governance and
regulatory frameworks, emphasizing the critical importance of detailed project
implementation plans prior to tender issuance, coordinated with development
budget management and project implementation entities.

He affirmed
that these collaborative efforts have successfully streamlined documentation
cycles, standardized procedures, automated data processes and workflow steps,
and elevated governance standards through precise responsibility definition and
enhanced transparency throughout all project implementation phases.

He pointed out
that the newly implemented cycle is projected to significantly reduce tender
floating and contracting timeframes while accelerating government project
execution with improved efficiency, enhancing Oman’s capacity to achieve
developmental objectives within established timelines and allocated resources.

The Head of the Projects Follow-up Office
confirmed that these systematic improvements form part of a comprehensive
vision for government operational system development, enabling entities to implement
projects according to international standards while achieving economic
efficiency and sustainable public fund utilization.

— Ends/Khalid