Salalah: Oman’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP) has launched the “Excellent Companies” initiative, in partnership with the Tax Authority and the Ministry of Labour, to back high-performing firms with incentives aimed at boosting productivity, value addition and regional expansion.
The programme targets three goals — growth, diversification and employment — by helping Omani firms compete globally, amplify local success stories and guide SMEs onto a structured path of capability building.
Who qualifies
“Excellent Companies” are firms registered in Oman under the Commercial Companies Law (Royal Decree 18/2019) that make a direct contribution to national priorities by hiring Omani talent and applying international practices and modern technologies to ensure quality and sustainability.
Basic eligibility: the company must be registered and active in Oman with an office; comply with national laws and regulations; employ at least one Omani; and meet at least three of the evaluation criteria.
How assessment works
Evaluation proceeds in two phases. The first uses five primary criteria: company age; branch/market footprint; exports; workforce & Omanisation; and revenues. A second phase adds digital transformation, local content, and ESG (environment & society). Data are verified through government systems: company registry (age/branches), Customs (exports), Ministry of Labour (workforce/Omanisation) and the Tax Authority (audited annual revenues). Companies receive a composite score that sets their growth stage and incentive tier.
Indicative growth stages
t•tStart-up/Emerging: revenues OMR 100k–500k; 10–50 employees; ~10% Omanisation; 1–5 branches; 5–10 years old.
t•tMature: OMR 500k–3m; 51–200 employees; ~20% Omanisation; 6–20 branches; 11–25 years.
t•tSustainable/Advanced: > OMR 3m; 201+ employees; ~35% Omanisation; 21+ branches; 26+ years.
(Companies are classified into Category A, B or C based on total points.)
What companies get
Preferential: peer roundtables; direct support to open new markets via embassies; priority branding at trade fairs and with official delegations; appointing corporate representatives as Business Ambassadors; talent-building such as “Kafa’at”.
Administrative: direct channels to decision-makers; dedicated account managers to resolve inter-agency procedures; faster licensing via the “Invest in Oman” hall; policy/regulatory facilitation.
Operational: customs facilitation, export support for Omani products to regional markets, regular ministerial field visits, encouragement of clusters/mergers, and expedited tax refunds.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
