Bid clarification is under way for the contract to develop 42 schools using a public-private partnership (PPP) model in Oman.

Oman’s Finance Ministry issued the request for proposals (RFP) for the contract in September last year and received three bids earlier this year.

According to industry sources, the bidders include Saudi Arabia's Vision International Investment Company and a Saudi-Kuwait team of Mowah Company and Alghanim International.

In addition to these companies, the following firms are understood to have been qualified to bid for the contract:

• Aberdeen Standard Investcorp Infrastructure Partners (Bahrain)
• Al-Madina Real Estate (local)
• Galfar Engineering & Contracting (local)
• Lamar Holding (Saudi Arabia)
• Muscat National Development & Investment (local)
• Tamasuk Holding (Saudi Arabia)
• Oman Investment Corporation (local)
• Renaissance Services (UAE)
• Alghanim International General Trading & Contracting Company (Kuwait)

Oman's finance and education ministries invited companies to submit expressions of interest for the contract in April 2022.

The scope of the agreements is expected to include design, construction, finance, operation and maintenance works.

Oman’s PPP programme was launched in 2021, following the promulgation of the country’s PPP law in 2019.

In December 2021, the finance ministry invited investors to participate in the development of Liwa Fishery Harbour in North al-Batinah as a PPP project.

Oman also plans to develop PPP projects in the healthcare sector, with planned schemes including hemodialysis facilities around the country. A drug rehabilitation centre has also been planned for Sohar.

The country’s Public Authority for Privatisation & Partnership (Papp) was dissolved as part of a wider government restructuring announced in August 2020.

The newly reorganised finance ministry was to comprise the legacy assets of Papp, which before the August 2020 move was understood to have a pipeline of 49 projects in the education, healthcare, logistics and utilities sectors.

Papp’s portfolio included the Salalah-Thumrait truck road scheme, school projects around the country and an industrial waste treatment facility in Sohar.