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Oman Tenders 2026: The Complete Guide to Esnad, Tender Law & Public Procurement in the Sultanate of Oman

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Oman Tenders 2026: The Complete Guide to Esnad, Tender Law & Public Procurement in the Sultanate of Oman

Oman Tenders 2026: The Complete Guide to Esnad, Tender Law & Public Procurement in the Sultanate of Oman
  • June 08, 2026

The Sultanate of Oman occupies a distinctive position among Gulf procurement markets. It was one of the first GCC states to legally codify a unified tendering framework and it now runs one of the region's most structured public procurement institutions, the Tender Board, alongside an explicit, economy wide policy of channelling government spending toward Omani companies, Omani workers and Omani manufactured goods through its In Country Value (ICV) programme. For contractors, suppliers and consultants evaluating Oman government tenders in 2026, this combination of legal maturity and deliberate localisation policy makes Oman simultaneously one of the most transparent and one of the most compliance intensive markets in the Gulf to enter successfully.

This guide has been researched and written for businesses preparing to bid on مناقصات عمان (Oman tenders) whether Omani companies seeking to understand the classification and registration process, GCC-based suppliers exploring cross-border opportunities or international firms targeting Oman's oil and gas, infrastructure, logistics or renewable energy sectors under Oman Vision 2040. It covers the legal framework governing public procurement, the institutions that administer it, the registration and classification process, the In Country Value policy that shapes nearly every contract award decision and the practical realities of bidding without referencing any specific live tender, since active opportunities change daily and should always be verified directly on the official Esnad platform.

Oman's Public Procurement Legal Framework

Public procurement in Oman is governed primarily by what is widely known as the "Tender Law," originally promulgated by Royal Decree No. 36/2008 on 24 March 2008 and subsequently amended through Royal Decree No. 120/2011 and Royal Decree No. 60/2013. This law replaced the earlier Royal Decree No. 86/84, which had established Oman's original Government Tender Law and Regulations and itself necessitated the formation of the Tender Board as the body responsible for supervising all public procurement in the Sultanate.

The institutional landscape governing Omani procurement has continued to evolve significantly in the most recent legislative cycle. Royal Decree No. 57/2025 formally renamed the Secretariat General of the Tender Board to the Projects, Tenders and Local Content Authority (PTLC), reflecting the expanded mandate this body now holds not only administering the tendering process itself, but actively overseeing the implementation of Oman's local content policy across government contracts. The PTLC operates alongside the Tender Board, providing the technical, administrative and logistical work required to support the Board's prescribed mandates, without prejudicing any of the Tender Board's own legally established authority.

A second major legislative development directly affects how government contracts are signed and financially authorised. Royal Decree No. 59/2024, issued on 19 November 2024 and taking effect on 25 December 2024, established a new System for Signing Contracts and Financial Commitments of the State, replacing the outdated Royal Decree No. 48/76. Under the previous regime, any government contract worth more than OMR 500,000 required the joint signature of the Ministry of Finance in addition to the contracting ministry a requirement the new system has simplified. Under Royal Decree 59/2024, the Ministry of Finance's signature is now required specifically for government bonds, government guarantees and investment projects relating to the state's economic development outside Oman Investment Authority (OIA) investments, streamlining the contracting process for the large majority of standard government agreements while preserving central oversight where it matters most for fiscal accountability.

The Tender Board and PTLC How Oman's Procurement Institution Works

The Tender Board was originally established in 1972 to handle government projects and procurement requests submitted by civil service ministries and other government agencies and remains the central decision-making authority for Oman's higher-value public contracts today. Understanding its operational structure is essential for any bidder:

  • Value-based jurisdiction: Projects below OMR 250,000 can be awarded directly through a procuring ministry's own Internal Procurement Committee, without going through the Tender Board. Projects above this threshold must be floated and awarded through the Tender Board itself, giving the Board direct oversight of Oman's most significant public contracts.
  • Core functions: The Tender Board's responsibilities include registering and classifying companies wishing to participate in government tenders, reviewing tender documents submitted by ministries before they are floated to the market and ensuring that the technically and commercially best-suited solution is selected in accordance with the prevailing tender laws and regulations.
  • Independent sectoral tender boards: Notably, several major Omani entities operate their own separate tender boards rather than routing procurement through the central Tender Board most significantly Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), as well as the Royal Oman Police and the Diwan of the Royal Court. Bidders targeting the oil and gas sector specifically must therefore engage directly with PDO's own procurement and supplier qualification process rather than relying solely on the central Esnad platform.
  • Limited technocratic staffing: Most major civilian government projects are channelled through the Tender Board, which is staffed by a relatively limited number historically around 40 of professional technocrats who typically rely on the recommendation of an appointed consultant and the procuring ministry itself when evaluating and awarding contracts.
  • Grievance mechanism: Bidders who believe their registration, classification or treatment in a specific tender process was handled incorrectly have access to a formal grievance procedure through the Tender Board, providing a structured avenue for dispute resolution before matters escalate further.

Esnad Oman's Mandatory eTendering Platform

Esnad (إسناد), accessible at etendering.tenderboard.gov.om, is the official, mandatory electronic tendering platform through which all public tenders from ministries and government organisations under the Tender Board's jurisdiction must be published. Esnad's role in the Omani procurement system extends well beyond simple notice publication it is the platform's innovative design that allows government entities to publish their tenders directly, gives registered companies straightforward access to those opportunities and also provides bidders with direct access to the tender laws, registration requirements, regulations and related appendices governing the entire process all from within the platform itself.

The Tender Board has also extended Esnad's reach through a dedicated mobile application, reflecting an ongoing push to improve accessibility for registered suppliers. The stated purpose of this digital infrastructure is to simplify bidding procedures between government entities and suppliers, while improving both the efficiency and the transparency of the overall tendering process a theme that runs consistently through Oman's procurement modernisation efforts over the past decade.

In a significant strategic development, the Tender Board has been working on a new national initiative the National Procurement and Project Management System, known as Takamul that is intended to evolve and ultimately succeed elements of the current Esnad system. Businesses already registered on Esnad should monitor official Tender Board communications closely for guidance on this transition, as the underlying platform infrastructure supporting Oman's tendering ecosystem continues to develop.

Furas Platform Advance Visibility of Upcoming Oman Tenders

A distinctive feature of Oman's procurement ecosystem one that sets it apart from the more reactive, tender-by-tender approach common in many markets is the Furas Platform, operated by the Oman Investment Authority (OIA). Furas is specifically designed to give the private sector advance visibility into upcoming government and state-owned enterprise projects, typically three to six months before a formal tender is floated on Esnad.

For contractors, EPC firms and consultants, this advance notice window is strategically valuable in a market where local content compliance, classification preparation and joint venture or local partnership arrangements with Omani entities can take considerable time to put in place. Businesses that monitor Furas systematically gain a meaningful planning advantage over competitors who only begin preparing once a tender notice formally appears on Esnad.

Classification and Registration The Mandatory First Step

Before bidding on any Oman government tender, a company must complete registration and obtain a Tender Board classification appropriate to its sector and the nature of the work it intends to bid on. Oman's framework draws a clear distinction between two participation categories:

  • Local companies: Defined as any company registered in Oman meaning a company that holds a Registration Certificate issued by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion. Local companies must hold a valid Tender Board registration before participating in any tender.
  • International companies: Foreign companies are permitted to participate in tenders open to international bidders, but any international company that is awarded a contract must complete all registration formalities with the Tender Board within one month of the contract award meaning international firms can bid first and formalise local registration only upon winning, rather than needing full Omani registration as a precondition to bid.

Tenders themselves are categorised based on the breadth of participation the procuring entity intends to invite:

  • General Tender (also called Open Tender): Announced publicly and open to all companies local or international that meet the published eligibility requirements.
  • Limited Tender: The Tender Board invites a defined set of pre-qualified, classified companies holding the relevant "degree" or grade to participate, rather than opening the opportunity to the full market. Local companies invited under this category must hold a valid Tender Board registration; international companies may also be invited but must complete the same post-award registration formalities described above.

In-Country Value (ICV) The Policy Shaping Every Major Oman Tender

No discussion of Oman's procurement environment is complete without a thorough understanding of In-Country Value (ICV) arguably the single most consequential policy framework for any contractor or supplier evaluating the Omani market in 2026. ICV is the Government of Oman's structured policy effort to incentivise companies, both Omani and foreign, to invest in Oman through the procurement of local goods and services and through the training and employment of Omani nationals.

While ICV was originally conceived specifically for oil and gas contracts, the principle has since been embedded into government tenders across virtually all sectors, including transportation and tourism, as part of Oman's broader Vision 2040 economic diversification strategy. Several converging facts illustrate how seriously this policy is being implemented in practice:

  • Major operator commitments: Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), Oman's largest oil and gas operator, has set a target of increasing its ICV to 52 percent by 2030, while in 2023 alone the company spent $2.5 billion on ICV initiatives representing 40 percent of its total supply chain spending including $900 million specifically directed toward SMEs.
  • Price preference for local goods: OQ Group, one of Oman's major integrated energy companies, has publicly confirmed that it offers a 10 percent price preference for Omani-manufactured goods in qualifying contract categories, alongside dedicated spending targets for SME and Riyada Card-holding suppliers.
  • Riyada Card and SME procurement quotas: Newer businesses registered under Oman's SME frameworks, particularly those holding a Riyada Card, benefit from preferential SME procurement quotas embedded directly within ICV rules giving early-stage Omani ventures a structurally higher chance of qualifying as approved local suppliers.
  • A National Local Content Office in development: The Tender Board now operating through the PTLC structure has signalled plans to establish a dedicated National Local Content Office tasked with devising and overseeing policies and frameworks for optimising local content across the breadth of government procurement, not solely within the energy sector.
  • Mandatory annual recertification: ICV certification is not a one-time credential. Recertification is generally required annually or in alignment with specific tender cycles, meaning businesses must maintain continuous compliance covering local spend, Omanisation rates, SME engagement and training metrics rather than treating ICV as a box ticked once at market entry.

For any contractor or supplier without an existing ICV certification or a clear strategy for achieving one, competing for major Omani contracts particularly in oil and gas, but increasingly across infrastructure, manufacturing and renewable energy will be structurally difficult regardless of technical capability or pricing competitiveness.

Local Content and the Mandatory List

Beyond the broader ICV framework, Oman's procurement system incorporates a specific Mandatory List mechanism designed to reserve defined categories of goods and services for Omani SMEs and local suppliers. This Mandatory List operates as one of the more direct tools available to the PTLC and the Tender Board for channelling government spending toward Omani businesses, complementing the broader ICV scoring and price preference mechanisms that apply more generally across larger contracts. Bidders particularly international firms should check whether any element of a given tender's scope falls within categories covered by the Mandatory List, as this can materially affect eligibility or require structured partnership arrangements with qualifying Omani suppliers.

Major Tender Issuing Authorities in Oman

Oman's procurement landscape spans central ministries, regional municipalities and a substantial portfolio of state owned enterprises and authorities, each issuing its own programme of مناقصات حكومية عمان (Oman government tenders) and contract opportunities. A comprehensive directory of these issuing authorities is maintained on TendersArabia's authority listings, but the following overview reflects the principal categories of buyer that contractors and suppliers should track.

Central Ministries

Municipalities and Regional Authorities

Key State-Owned Enterprises and Authorities

  • Oman Electricity Transmission Company high-voltage transmission infrastructure and grid expansion contracts
  • Nama Water Services (Oman Water and Wastewater Services Company) water distribution and wastewater treatment procurement across Oman's governorates
  • Asyad Group and Asyad DryDock Company Oman's logistics and maritime group, covering ports, shipping, free zones and dry dock services
  • Oman Airports Company airport infrastructure, facilities management and ground services contracts
  • Oman Air aviation maintenance, catering, ground handling and IT services procurement
  • Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) telecommunications infrastructure, network equipment and digital services contracts
  • Oman Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund procurement linked to portfolio investments and operator of the Furas advance-visibility platform
  • Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran) tourism infrastructure, hospitality development and destination management contracts
  • Central Bank of Oman financial infrastructure, security and IT systems procurement
  • Civil Aviation Authority aviation regulatory infrastructure, air navigation systems and safety equipment tenders

Additionally, as noted earlier, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) operates its own independent tender board entirely separate from the central Tender Board structure, alongside the Royal Oman Police and the Diwan of the Royal Court meaning contractors targeting these specific entities must engage their procurement processes directly rather than relying solely on Esnad.

Sector Opportunities in Oman's Procurement Market

Oman's tender landscape under Vision 2040 spans a deliberately diversified set of sectors, reflecting the Sultanate's strategic push to reduce historical dependence on oil and gas revenue:

  • Oil, gas and energy PDO's continued ICV-driven supply chain spending, alongside OQ Group's integrated upstream, midstream and downstream contract programme and emerging renewable energy and green hydrogen initiatives connected to Oman's broader energy transition strategy.
  • Logistics and maritime Asyad Group's port, free zone, shipping and dry dock infrastructure investment, leveraging Oman's strategic position outside the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Water and utilities Nama Water Services' ongoing water distribution and wastewater treatment network expansion and Oman Electricity Transmission Company's grid infrastructure programme.
  • Transport and aviation Oman Airports Company's facilities and ground services contracts, Oman Air's operational and maintenance procurement and road and transport infrastructure under the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology.
  • Healthcare and education Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education and Higher Education procurement for facilities, equipment and services supporting Oman's public health and education systems.
  • Housing and urban development Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning programmes addressing residential development and urban infrastructure.
  • Tourism and hospitality Omran-led tourism infrastructure and destination development projects supporting Oman's tourism diversification ambitions under Vision 2040.
  • Digital and telecommunications Omantel-led network infrastructure investment and the broader digital transformation initiatives connected to e-government modernisation, including the Esnad-to-Takamul transition itself.

Documentation Requirements for Bidding in Oman

Based on the Tender Board's published registration and classification framework, businesses preparing to bid on Oman government tenders should expect the following core documentation and compliance requirements:

  • Commercial Registration Certificate issued by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, required for any company seeking classification as a "local" entity under the Tender Board's framework.
  • Tender Board classification ("degree") the formal grading and sector classification a company must hold to be eligible for Limited Tenders in its relevant category and which establishes its standing within the broader Esnad system.
  • Certified Arabic translations given Arabic's status as the official language of Oman's legal and administrative system, supporting documentation submitted by foreign or offshore entities typically requires certified Arabic translation as part of the registration and bid submission process.
  • In-Country Value (ICV) certification increasingly required, particularly for oil and gas sector contracts and a growing range of other sectors, as a precondition for both bid eligibility and preferential evaluation treatment. ICV certification generally requires annual recertification or recertification aligned with specific tender cycles.
  • Bid bond / bid security as with most Gulf tendering systems, bids submitted through Esnad are generally required to be accompanied by the prescribed bid bond or bid security specified in the individual tender's conditions.
  • Post-award registration for international bidders international companies that do not hold prior Tender Board registration may still participate in eligible tenders, but must complete the Tender Board's registration formalities within one month of being awarded the contract.

How to Participate in Oman Tenders Step by Step

  • Step 1 Register on Esnad (إسناد): Create an account on the Esnad eTendering platform at etendering.tenderboard.gov.om, the mandatory gateway through which all Tender Board-governed government tenders are published and managed.
  • Step 2 Obtain the necessary classification: Apply for Tender Board classification in the sector and category relevant to your business activity, ensuring your registration status local or international is correctly reflected.
  • Step 3 Establish local content and ICV compliance: For sectors where ICV applies most prominently oil and gas, but increasingly more broadly secure the appropriate In-Country Value certification and develop a clear strategy for SME engagement, Omanisation and local sourcing commitments that will be evaluated as part of your bid.
  • Step 4 Monitor the Furas Platform for advance visibility: Where possible, track upcoming OIA-linked projects through Furas three to six months ahead of formal tender release, allowing time to prepare classification, local partnerships and ICV documentation well in advance.
  • Step 5 Prepare bid documentation with certified Arabic translations: Ensure all required supporting documents, technical proposals and compliance certificates are properly translated and certified in line with Esnad's submission requirements.
  • Step 6 Submit your bid electronically with the required bid bond: Complete the electronic submission process on Esnad before the stated deadline, including the bid bond or security specified in the tender conditions.
  • Step 7 For sector-specific entities, engage directly: If targeting PDO, the Royal Oman Police or the Diwan of the Royal Court, register and engage with their independent procurement and tender board processes separately from the central Esnad system.

How Contractors and Suppliers Search for Oman Tenders Online

Search behaviour among procurement professionals tracking the Omani market reflects both the bilingual nature of Oman's administrative documentation and the international composition of its contractor and supplier base. In English, search activity clusters around terms including Oman tenders, Oman government tenders, Oman e-tendering, Esnad platform, Oman Tender Board, Oman tender law, Oman RFP, Oman procurement classification, Muscat tenders and increasingly specific terms like Oman In-Country Value, ICV Oman certification and Furas Platform Oman reflecting growing market sophistication around the localisation requirements that now shape contract eligibility. Long-tail variants frequently reference specific authorities directly PDO tenders Oman, Asyad Group tenders, Nama Water tenders, Omantel tenders indicating that experienced bidders increasingly search by procuring entity once they understand Oman's distributed institutional landscape.

In Arabic, the dominant search term is مناقصات عمان (Oman tenders), with closely related variants including مناقصات حكومية عمان (Oman government tenders), منصة إسناد (the Esnad Platform), مجلس المناقصات عمان (Oman Tender Board), القيمة المضافة المحلية (In-Country Value / local content value) and تصنيف المقاولين عمان (Oman contractor classification). A notable feature of Omani search behaviour distinguishing it from some neighbouring markets is the comparatively high search volume for ICV and local content terminology specifically, reflecting how deeply this policy framework has been embedded into both Arabic and English-language business discourse around the Omani market.

How TendersArabia Helps You Win in Oman

Successfully navigating Oman's procurement market requires monitoring multiple distinct systems simultaneously the central Esnad platform, the OIA's Furas Platform for advance project visibility, PDO's independent supplier and tender process and the individual procurement channels of major state-owned enterprises such as Asyad Group, Nama Water Services and Omantel. For businesses without an established in-market presence, tracking this distributed landscape consistently while also staying current on evolving local content and ICV requirements represents a genuine and ongoing operational challenge.

TendersArabia addresses this by providing daily updates aggregated from Esnad and all major Omani authorities, authority-specific alerts tailored to your sector for مناقصات عمان, dedicated guidance on local content and Mandatory List compliance, bilingual English and Arabic tender summaries and contract award intelligence to support competitive bid preparation. For businesses evaluating Oman alongside other Gulf markets, this sits within TendersArabia's broader coverage of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the wider Arab world enabling a single bid management team to track opportunities across multiple GCC jurisdictions without separately learning and monitoring each country's distinct institutional architecture.

Frequently Asked Questions Oman Tenders

Q1. What is the main law governing government tenders in Oman?

Public procurement in Oman is governed by the "Tender Law," promulgated by Royal Decree No. 36/2008 on 24 March 2008 and subsequently amended by Royal Decree No. 120/2011 and Royal Decree No. 60/2013. This law replaced the earlier Royal Decree No. 86/84 and established the framework requiring formation of the Tender Board to supervise public procurement. The Secretariat General of the Tender Board was further renamed the Projects, Tenders and Local Content Authority (PTLC) under Royal Decree No. 57/2025. Separately, Royal Decree No. 59/2024 established a new System for Signing Contracts and Financial Commitments of the State, effective 25 December 2024.

Q2. What is Esnad and how do I register on it?

Esnad (إسناد), accessible at etendering.tenderboard.gov.om, is Oman's official and mandatory eTendering platform, through which all government tenders falling under the Tender Board's jurisdiction must be published. Companies register directly on the platform, where they can also access tender laws, registration requirements and regulatory appendices. The Tender Board has indicated that a new national system, Takamul, is in development to evolve elements of the current Esnad platform registered users should monitor official communications for transition guidance.

Q3. What is the difference between a local and international company under Oman's Tender Board rules?

A local company is one registered in Oman and holding a Registration Certificate from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion; such companies must hold valid Tender Board registration before bidding. An international company may participate in eligible tenders without prior Omani registration, but if awarded a contract, must complete all Tender Board registration formalities within one month of the contract award.

Q4. What is the difference between a General Tender and a Limited Tender in Oman?

A General Tender (Open Tender) is announced publicly and open to all qualifying companies, local or international. A Limited Tender involves the Tender Board inviting a pre-selected group of qualified, classified companies holding the relevant degree or grade rather than opening the opportunity to the full market.

Q5. What is In-Country Value (ICV) and why does it matter for bidding in Oman?

In-Country Value (ICV) is the Government of Oman's policy framework incentivising companies to invest in Oman through local procurement, Omani employment and training. Originally focused on oil and gas, ICV is now embedded across most sectors under Vision 2040. Major operators like PDO (targeting 52% ICV by 2030) and OQ Group (offering a 10% price preference on Omani-manufactured goods) actively apply ICV scoring in contract evaluation, making ICV certification a near-essential credential for competing on major Omani tenders, particularly in energy and increasingly across infrastructure.

Q6. What is the Furas Platform and how does it help bidders?

The Furas Platform, operated by the Oman Investment Authority (OIA), gives the private sector advance visibility typically three to six months into upcoming government and state-owned enterprise projects before they are formally tendered on Esnad. This advance notice allows contractors and suppliers to prepare classification, local partnerships and ICV documentation well ahead of formal bid submission deadlines.

Q7. Do Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) tenders go through Esnad?

No. PDO operates its own independent tender board, entirely separate from the central Tender Board and Esnad system, as do the Royal Oman Police and the Diwan of the Royal Court. Contractors and suppliers targeting PDO contracts must register and engage directly with PDO's own supplier qualification and procurement process.

Q8. What is the Mandatory List in Oman's procurement system?

The Mandatory List is a mechanism within Oman's local content framework that reserves defined categories of goods and services specifically for Omani SMEs and local suppliers. It works alongside the broader ICV scoring system to channel a portion of government and state-enterprise spending directly toward qualifying Omani businesses. Bidders, particularly international firms, should check whether elements of a tender's scope fall under Mandatory List categories, as this can affect eligibility or necessitate partnership with a qualifying local supplier.

Conclusion

Oman's government procurement market in 2026 combines one of the Gulf's most mature legal and institutional procurement frameworks with an unusually explicit and deeply embedded local content policy. Success in this market depends on understanding the legal structure under the Tender Law and its 2024-2025 institutional updates, the practical mechanics of Esnad registration and Tender Board classification, the strategic value of monitoring the Furas Platform for advance project visibility and perhaps most importantly building a genuine, sustainable ICV and local content strategy rather than treating it as a compliance afterthought.

For contractors, suppliers and consultants whether Omani, GCC-based or international a systematic approach to classification, ICV certification and continuous tender monitoring across both the central Esnad platform and Oman's independent sectoral procurement systems is the foundation of sustainable participation in one of the Gulf's most institutionally structured public procurement markets.

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This guide is intended for informational purposes only. Always verify current classification requirements, ICV compliance criteria and tender conditions directly with the Tender Board / Projects, Tenders and Local Content Authority (PTLC), the Esnad platform and qualified legal counsel familiar with Omani procurement law before submitting any bid.

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