Tuesday 02 / June / 2026
Muscat: The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology launched the "Sas for Excellence" initiative within the "Sas" programme for supporting tech companies, as part of its efforts to enhance digital sovereignty, localise technologies, and build an Omani digital industry with added value.
This comes in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labour, Oman Investment Authority, the Projects, Tenders and Local Content Authority, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), and the Development Bank, with the aim of enabling Omani tech companies to develop local solutions capable of growth and global expansion.
The initiative focuses on enhancing local digital self-sufficiency by supporting national tech companies to develop and own digital products and services with added value, contributing to consolidating digital sovereignty, enhancing local content, and building a base of Omani companies capable of competing in regional and global markets.
Dr. Ali Amer Al Shidhani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Communications and Information Technology, pointed out that the initiative contributes to supporting the localisation of technologies and enhancing the national digital industry by enabling Omani tech companies to develop and own local digital solutions and products, and building their competitive capabilities relying on national talents. This enhances digital sovereignty and local digital self-sufficiency, and supports the growth of startups and national tech companies to become capable of competing and expanding regionally and globally.
He added that the initiative embodies an advanced model of partnership between government entities, financing and investment institutions, and the private sector, thereby enhancing the integration of roles and unifying efforts to build a national tech ecosystem capable of innovation, growth, and global expansion, achieving added value for the national economy, and enhancing digital local content.
Al Shidhani explained that the "Sas for Excellence" initiative focuses on selecting Omani tech companies according to specific criteria and controls, and then granting them a set of benefits and incentives to accelerate their growth and enhance their competitive capabilities to expand into regional markets. Sas for Excellence includes a package of tools and supportive programs that help Omani tech companies develop their tech products and services and open new foreign markets, thereby enhancing the presence of Omani companies globally.
Dr. Ali bin Amer Al Shidhani added that the initiative will give priority to Omani companies specialized in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, the development and design of electronic systems, and emerging technologies. The selected companies will receive a package of support tools, most notably: wage support for up to 40 Omani employees per company, providing cash liquidity to companies up to RO one million per company, along with competitive advantages in tenders of government institutions and companies.
Mahmoud Abdullah Al Awaini, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance, confirmed that the ministry’s support for the initiative comes within the framework of integrating efforts to achieve the targets of Oman Vision 2040 to develop the information technology sector, as it is the primary enabler for economic diversification sectors in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, and for the promising opportunities it offers to attract foreign and local investments.
He pointed out that supporting these initiatives stems from a belief in the capabilities and efficiency of Omani companies to reach high levels of competitiveness and expand into regional and global markets.
Eng. Badr Salim Al Maamari, Chairman of the Projects, Tenders and Local Content Authority, explained that based on the Sas for Excellence initiative, local IT companies complying with specific criteria will be granted priority in certain government competitions and contracts, aiming to support tech transformation, enhance innovation, and raise the efficiency of services and projects.
For his part, Ammar Salim Al Saadi, Director General of the General Directorate of Labour at the Ministry of Labour and official spokesperson of the ministry for the labour affairs sector, explained that the "Sas for Excellence" initiative embodies its vision of transforming Omani talents into a productive force leading the digital economy, by supporting national tech companies and enabling them to grow and expand. This enhances the presence of the Sultanate of Oman on the regional and global innovation and technology map, and consolidates its position as a land shaping the future and a rising hub for the knowledge and tech economy.
Hussein Ali Al Lawati, CEO of the Development Bank, stressed that the initiative represents a national step to support promising Omani tech companies and enhance their ability to compete regionally and globally, pointing out the bank's commitment to a pivotal role in the success of the initiative by providing stimulating financing solutions and simplified procedures that keep pace with the needs of the tech sector, and contribute to consolidating a business environment supportive of innovation and sustainable growth.
Ahmed Abdullah Al Abri, Director of Digital Solutions at Petroleum Development Oman, said that the "Sas for Excellence" initiative represents a strategic opportunity to accelerate digital transformation ambitions in Petroleum Development Oman, in line with the institutional transformation journey of the Sultanate of Oman, and consistent with the targets of Oman Vision 2040 in the fields of innovation, economic diversification, and digital sovereignty.
He added, “At Petroleum Development Oman, we believe that building a thriving national ecosystem for technology and innovation is an essential pillar for enhancing the competitiveness of the Sultanate of Oman and the sustainability of its long-term growth.”
He noted that Petroleum Development Oman's participation in the initiative reflects its commitment to enabling promising Omani tech companies, developing national capabilities, and enhancing local digital capacities. Through supporting the growth of scalable tech companies, the move contributes to creating sustainable economic value, providing qualitative opportunities for Omanis, and consolidating the status of the Sultanate of Oman as a regional hub for innovation and digital excellence.
The selection process of the participating companies is based on a set of criteria ensuring their readiness for growth and expansion, most notably that the company must be 100 percent Omani and has been practicing a tech activity for at least three years, achieve an Omanisation rate of no less than 50 percent with the presence of at least 15 Omani employees, in addition to owning a locally developed and owned tech product or service, a clear plan for expansion into foreign markets, alongside achieving a compound growth rate in revenues of no less than 15 percent over the past two years.
