Muscat: Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) today launched an initiative codenamed ‘Tamkeen’ (empowerment) to enable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to opt for government tenders. The initiative was launched at the OCCI premises in Muscat Governorate, in cooperation with ‘Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit’ and the ‘Projects, Tenders and Local Content Authority’.
According to Oman News Agency, as part of the initiative, two training programs will be implemented in the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman during 2025 and 2026. The programs are designed to raise the standards of SMEs so that they could benefit from 10 percent allocated to them in government purchases and tenders. The move will enhance the contribution of SMEs to national projects and enable them to support economic growth and expansion.
Faisal Abdullah Al Rawas, Chairman of OCCI Board of Directors, said that the new initiative constitutes a milestone in the Chamber’s ongoing efforts to empower the private sector and boost its readiness to actively engage in the business environment that, he observed, is undergoing rapid development. Al Rawas added that the active engagement in the government procurement system has become a fundamental pillar for the growth of SMEs and the sustainability of their businesses.
For his part, Eng. Badr Salim Al Maamari, Chairman of ‘Projects, Tenders and Local Content Authority’, described Tamkeen as a ‘model of institutional integration between government and private establishment’. Al Maamari pointed out that the initiative would bolster the readiness of SMEs and enable them to compete efficiently within the government projects and procurement system.
In further comments, Zakaria Abdullah Al Saadi, CEO of the OCCI, said that Tamkeen initiative was one of the key outcomes of a ‘Strategic Approaches Workshop’ organized earlier by the OCCI. The workshop, he explained, focused on three basic themes: ‘Improving the business environment’, ‘Expanding the base of economic diversification’ and ‘Consolidating partnership in the economic development of Omani governorates’.
In February 2025, the OCCI launched 14 initiatives to achieve its strategic approaches, within the context of the Chamber’s cooperation with the Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit to support the private sector and enhance its role in developing the national economy.
The first training program of Tamkeen initiative kicked off at the OCCI premises in Muscat Governorate today. The program included working papers on steps to apply for government purchases and tenders, and on how to register companies on the government portal ‘Esnad platform’.
The training program will be implemented in the governorates as follows: It will be implemented in South Al Batinah Governorate on 17 December 2025; in A’Dakhiliyah Governorate on 18 December 2025; in Al Wusta Governorate on 21 December 2025; in A’Dhahirah Governorate on 24 December 2025; in Al Buraimi Governorate on 25 December 2025; in North A’Sharqiyah Governorate on 28 December 2025; in Musandam Governorate on 1 January 2026; in Dhofar Governorate on 4 January 2026; in South A’Sharqiyah Governorate on 7 January 2026 and in North Al Batinah Governorate on 8 January 2025.