Recommendations to Strengthen Governance and Governorates in Project and Tender Management… First Governorates’ Ambassadors Forum concludes in Muscat
22/05/2025
The First Governorates Ambassadors Forum, conducted by the General Secretariat of the Tender Board and hosted in Muscat Governorate for three days entitled ‘‘We are united by purpose’, concluded on Thursday.
This forum was sponsored by His Excellency Sayyid Saud bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Governor of Muscat, attended by His Excellency Engineer Badr bin Salem Al Mamari, Secretary General of the Tender Board, and several Their Excellencies the Walis of Muscat Governorate.
Increasing Development Impact:
His Excellency Sayyid Saud bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Governor of Muscat, appreciated the involvement of the governorates’ ambassadors and their positive interaction with the workshops and programmes. He confirmed the specialised workshops and discussions express high institutional awareness and national interest to develop implementing government projects and contracts in the various governorates.
He praised the initiative and integration among the participants, and exchanging experiences. Thus, expressing a commitment to sustainable development and institutional efficiency through partnership and utilising national resources.
He hoped these workshops and field visits contributed to familirising the technical and field challenges and solutions. As well as, promoting governance methodologies and projects’ planning, according to the objectives of administrative decentralisation and optimising the developmental impact of government expenditures.
His Excellency praised the General Secretariat of the Tender Board’s efforts, representing the Secretary General and the working teams, for this successful forum’s conduction. He appreciated and affirmed the achievements reflect the meetings’ national value and motivate its continuance.
Targets and Sustainability:
His Excellency Engineer Badr bin Salem Al Mamari valued the Muscat Governorate’s efforts in organising and hosting this forum. He noted that the Council and the governorates’ achievements of developmental purposes, to ensure its outputs’ continuance to implement Oman`s Vision 2040.
Specialised Workshops:
The forum discussed the experiences of the governorates in project management according to annual plans, the stages of project preparation and preparing a guidelines book. A workshop on the governance of contracts and tender booklets that focused on the importance of unifying contractual drafts to reduce disputes and develop the legal structure, and various working papers on the documentation course, Adaa’ ePlatform, local content application objectives and price indicators.
On the final day of the forum, Huda Al Afifi from Muscat Municipality presented the ‘Unified Municipal System’ project, representing a quantum leap towards an innovative digital municipality that enhances institutional performance and supports development, as well as the ‘Adnad’ platform, which is a one-stop-shop for issuing no-objection certificates for excavation activities outside the boundaries of lands.
Engineer Azza Al Mamari presented a working paper on “Modern Building Systems”, which calls for a shift from traditional construction to more efficient, faster and less labour-intensive industrial construction models.
Engineer Hanan Al Maimni from the General Secretariat of the Tender Board reviewed the "Guidelines for Evaluating Tenders" as a standardised tool to enhance transparency and raise the efficiency of evaluation processes.
The sessions concluded with a workshop on "Change Directives", presented by engineers Ibrahim Al Harthy and Ali Al Nadabi from the General Secretariat, which discussed ways to improve the efficiency of projects and balance planning and outputs.
Field visits to enhance Practical Knowledge and Exchange Experiences:
The forum programme included field visits to a number of vital projects in Muscat Governorate, including: Oman Botanical Garden, Sultan Haitham City, Al Ansab-Jafnain Road dual carriageway, and the Green Walk. Visual presentations included projects such as the Rifq Centre, Al Amerat Track, and Yiti Sustainable City.
A number of participants expressed their appreciation for the tour, stressing that it provided a realistic picture of the quality of the implemented projects and the level of planning in the governorate, calling for the inclusion of such tours in the programmes of future forums.
A Platform for Knowledge Integration:
Engineer Shaima Al Kalbani, Ambassador of Al Dahira Governorate, expressed her pride in participating, praising the level of organisation and content. She stressed that the forum provided a real opportunity to build professional relationships and exchange experiences, and suggested the establishment of a permanent institutional platform for communication between the governorates.
Engineer Salahuddin Al Wahaibi, Ambassador of North Al Batinah Governorate, described the forum as a quality platform that promotes national identity, pointing out the importance of exchanging databases and coordinating development plans, and the need to activate local suppliers within the projects.
Engineer Muslim Al Rawas, Ambassador of Dhofar Governorate, praised the good organisation and rich content, especially in terms of project preparation methodology and local content, stressing the importance of allocating permanent resources to ensure the continuity of the forum.
Engineer Asmaa Al Saadi, Ambassador of Musandam Governorate, praised the organisation and smoothness of the events, noting the importance of this type of meeting in enhancing institutional cooperation and integration in municipal and developmental work.
Recommendations to enhance governance and integration :
The forum concluded with practical recommendations aimed at strengthening coordination between the governorates and the General Secretariat of the Tender Board, standardising policies and procedures related to project management and tenders, as well as activating the principles of governance and transparency in the implementation of projects. Focusing on adopting periodic national meetings between the governorates to support the objectives of administrative decentralisation.
At the end of the forum, participants emphasised the importance of the sustainability of these initiatives, as they play a major role in raising the efficiency of government performance and achieving sustainable development in the various governorates.