Skip to Content

Sas For Excellence Initiative

 

Sas For Excellence Initiative

A national initiative established in partnership with several public and private sector entities to support technology companies and startups. The initiative aims to accelerate the growth and empower at least five promising Omani technology companies with a strong growth track record and the potential for regional and international expansion, with the objective of supporting technology localization, strengthening the national digital industry, and enhancing local digital self-sufficiency. It is also intended to become a key source of employment for Omani talent in the Information Technology sector, thereby reinforcing digital sovereignty through the provision of a range of support mechanisms.

According to the initiative’s plan, participating companies are expected to benefit by tripling their Omani workforce over the next five years and expanding into at least three markets outside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This is expected to create approximately 2,500 direct and indirect job opportunities and increase the market value of Oman’s technology startup ecosystem by an average of 108%, thereby enhancing the contribution of the digital economy to the Sultanate of Oman’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and strengthening digital sovereignty in government digital projects and platforms.

Initiative Partners

  • Ministry of Labour
  • Development Bank
  • Oman Investment Authority
  • Authority for Public Services, Tenders and Local Content
  • Ministry of Finance
  • Petroleum Development Oman


 

  1. To increase the national workforce by at least threefold, both directly and indirectly, compared to the 2025 baseline, within five years through enabling five high-growth Omani technology companies.
  2. To expand digital exports by enabling each company to enter at least three international markets beyond the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and increase export revenues.
  3. To empower Omani enterprises to succeed in regional and global markets, while strengthening the Sultanate of Oman’s economic presence and competitiveness internationally.
  4. To build globally competitive startups that contribute to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, economic diversification, greater adoption of Omani digital products and services, and enhanced digital sovereignty.
  5. To foster innovation and growth in the sectors of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and emerging technologies.


​

The selection process for participating companies is based on a set of enhanced criteria designed to ensure impartiality, a high likelihood of success, and alignment with funding and wage support requirements.

A minimum of the top five companies achieving a readiness assessment score of 70% or higher will be selected to ensure quality and capability. Detailed interviews will then be conducted to complete the verification process prior to recommending final approval. The selection criteria are outlined in the attached table.

​

No.

Criterion

Description

Measurement

 

Supporting Documents

Score (%)

Weight (%)

1 

Legal Establishment

Valid Omani Commercial Registration

Requirement

Commercial Registration

-

5

Technology-related business activity

Requirement

-

Omani ownership (Ultimate Beneficial Owners) not less than 51%

Preferential Criterion (51%-100%)

5

Valid tax record for the last two years

Requirement

Tax Certificate

-

2

Omanisation

At least 50% Omanisation (full-time employees) at application submission

Requirement

Omanisation Certificate

-

15 

At least 15 Omani employees.

50-15 

7

+51


15

At least 50% Omanis in executive management (full-time)  

Requirement

Growth and Expansion Readiness Profile

-

3

Technological Innovation

Technology product or service developed and owned by the company

Requirement

-

-

4

Growth Trajectory

Revenue CAGR of at least 15% during the last two years

Requirement

-

15

Investment secured equivalent to at least 10% of company valuation

Metric

5

5

Operational Experience and Core Business Scope

At least 3 years of operational experience in priority technology sectors within the digital economy, such as Information Technology (IT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), FinTech, Green Technology, Cybersecurity, Space Technologies, and Deep Tech.

More than 3 years

15

15

2–3 years

10

Less than 2 years

5

6

Growth and Expansion Plan (3x Growth Target)

A detailed business plan and roadmap for expansion into international markets, aimed at doubling the national workforce, increasing the number of foreign markets served, and growing market value within five years.

Readiness Level

60

60

Total Readiness Score

​

​

​

100

  1. Wage Support for up to 40 Omani employees per company, in addition to the employees already covered under existing applications within each company (if applicable).
  2. Liquidity Support for companies, with funding of up to OMR 1 million per company.
  3. Establishing and activating a Pre-qualified Technology Companies Category, with tenders valued between OMR 250,000 and OMR 500,000 designated as limited tenders among pre-qualified technology companies. This mechanism would enable fair competition for projects offered by government entities and Petroleum Development Oman, based on defined areas of specialization. This includes streamlining registration procedures and qualifying pre-approved technology companies listed under the SAS for Excellence Initiative, enabling them to participate effectively in tender opportunities.
  4. A 10% Financial Preference Margin shall be granted to pre-qualified technology companies for tenders valued at less than OMR 250,000. Note: Companies enrolled in the SAS for Excellence Initiative must also be approved under the pre-qualification scheme to benefit from this advantage.
  5. An exclusive 20% Financial Preference Margin shall be granted to pre-qualified technology companies that are also enrolled in the SAS for Excellence Initiative for tenders valued at more than OMR 500,000. Note: To benefit from this advantage, companies participating in the SAS for Excellence Initiative must also be approved under the pre-qualification scheme. This benefit shall be exclusive to them and shall not apply to other pre-qualified companies.
  6. Priority access to provide technology solutions addressing challenges faced by companies under the umbrella of the Oman Investment Authority.
  7. Priority in the localization of innovative solutions for technology-related challenges and opportunities within specialized sectors through long-term projects. Such projects shall encompass research and development (R&D) phases for technological innovation and be supported by dedicated technical and managerial expertise throughout the project lifecycle.

A