The volume of tenders and additional works complementing the development projects awarded by the Tender Board during 2024 amounted to about 782 million Omani riyals. These projects enhance the development of infrastructure, including roads and public facilities, and support health, education and housing services. They also enhance progress in implementing the government's digital transformation program, and national programs and strategies, including the Governorates Development Program, the 2040 Urban Strategy, and the Tourism Strategy.
The new projects are distributed across all governorates, which contributes to their urban development and increases their attractiveness for tourism and investment, as a large part of the projects are directed to support local development within the framework of the "Oman Vision 2040" orientations towards expanding decentralization and achieving balanced development in the governorates and increasing their contribution as a source of national economic growth and providing job opportunities.
The additional projects and works awarded during the past year included additional works to provide consultancy services for preparing the master plan for Greater Muscat, additional works for consultancy services for the Omani Botanic Garden project, management and maintenance of facilities in the garden project, awarding consultancy services and designs for the integrated sports city project, establishing the Interior Square (Interior Boulevard), developing the seafront of Al Ashkhara Beach in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate, additional works related to consultancy services in Muttrah Square, the television and digital promotion project for the Sultanate of Oman in various global markets, appointing an office for tourism representation for the Sultanate of Oman in the People’s Republic of China, building, installing and storing pavilions for (international) tourism exhibitions abroad for a period of 3 years, contracts for the Sultanate of Oman’s participation in international forums, additional works on the tender for implementing the seafront in the Wilayat of Dibba, additional works for consultancy services for the development and supervision of the sea fishing port in the Wilayat of Dibba, and additional works and extension of the project to establish administrative and service buildings in the sea fishing port in the Al Hallaniyat Islands. In the roads and airports sector, the awarded tenders included the implementation of the dualization of Adam-Thumrait Road (Part Four - Three - Five) and the Eastern Expressway (Part Two, Phase Two) from Al Kamil and Al Wafi to Sur in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate, the Batinah Expressway, Package Five - Sohar Gateway Road - Free Zone Link, the dualization of Izki-Nizwa Road, the dualization of Raysut-Al Mughsail Road in Dhofar Governorate, the rehabilitation project of the dual road in Bidbid-Nizwa, the awarding of the remaining complementary works for the project to raise the efficiency of the Saih Qatna Road in the Wilayat of Al Jabal Al Akhdar, the completion of the remaining works for the project to build the Al Ubaila-Al Fayyadh Road in Al Buraimi Governorate, and the construction of bridges on the Sohar-Al Buraimi Road. The tender for consultancy services for the Musandam Airport Project was also awarded. Tenders in the health sector included maintenance work for devices and equipment, supplying vaccines and laboratory materials to the Ministry of Health, establishing Al Falah Hospital in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate, Al Nama Hospital in North Al Sharqiyah, and Samayil Hospital in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, additional work to develop, implement, host and support the electronic health portal, and additional work to provide information system operation and maintenance services at the General Directorate of Information Technology of the Ministry of Health.
In the education sector, tenders were awarded for the design and construction of 12 school buildings in various governorates, printing books and cleaning works, supplying computers, designing and constructing a basic education school consisting of 40 classrooms in the Wilayat of Ibri, replacing air conditioning units, supplying computers for the IT subject chains project for first-cycle schools, and extending the provision of programmers to the Information Systems Department at the Ministry of Education.
It is noteworthy that the preliminary results of the financial performance of the 2024 budget indicate an increase in the total public spending of the Sultanate of Oman by 4.1 percent to record 12.1 billion Omani riyals compared to the approved in the state's general budget for last year, which amounted to about 11.6 billion Omani riyals. The increase in spending is due to the increase in the total allocations for the contributions and other expenditures item by 12.4 percent, to reach about 2.4 billion Omani riyals, compared to the approved in the budget, which amounted to about 2.2 billion Omani riyals, and the increase in development expenditures for civil ministries to about 1.2 billion Omani riyals.
The 2024 budget had approved about 900 million Omani riyals for development spending in addition to the allocations for the item of projects with a developmental impact, and the spending allocated to services such as health, housing and education. This amount of spending enhances the acceleration of project implementation, supports economic diversification sectors, accelerates government digital transformation and upgrades various services.
Government tenders and procurement are a pillar for implementing the national policy for local content. Last year, the National Office for Local Content was established to raise the efficiency of projects in various sectors and achieve national returns that contribute to stimulating the national economy. The mandatory list of government procurement was also expanded, framework contracts for government services and procurement were launched, and the implementation of the "Imkan" program continued to prepare qualified national cadres efficiently in managing government projects and contracts. Through the program, many engineers were trained in various government agencies. In 2024, the first development projects forum was held, during which the most important government projects that will be tendered or are under tender during 2024 were presented, with the aim of providing competition and transparency for local companies, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, and providing the opportunity to prepare projects in advance. The development of tender systems contributed to greatly facilitating procedures, as the "Takamul" system enhanced the automation of all processes related to managing government projects and procurement, and developed electronic tender procedures to be smoother and faster. The system includes the management and monitoring of government projects.