Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) has launched ‘Tamkeen’ (empowerment) initiative, to enable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to opt for government tenders.
The Tamkeen 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’.
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 active engagement in the government procurement system has become a fundamental pillar for the growth of SMEs and the sustainability of their businesses.
Eng. Badr Salim Al Maamari, Chairman of the ‘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 Tamkeen initiative would bolster the readiness of SMEs and enable them to efficiently compete within government projects and the procurement system.
In further comments, Zakaria Abdullah Al Saadi, CEO of OCCI, said that the Tamkeen initiative was one of the key outcomes of a ‘Strategic Approaches Workshop’ organized earlier by the OCCI. he said that the workshop, 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’.
Image credits: ONA | Cropped by GBN
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.
Tamkeen training program schedues
The first training program of the Tamkeen initiative has kicked off at the OCCI premises in Muscat Governorate. 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:
