MUSCAT: A forum celebrating 20 years since the establishment of Sanad Service Centres took place yesterday, Wednesday, January 7, in Muscat under the auspices of Dr Khamis bin Saif al Jabri, Chairman of Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit.
The event was organised by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP) and was attended by Qais bin Mohammed al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, alongside senior officials, government and private-sector representatives; and owners of Sanad Service Centres.
Established in 2006, there are currently around 900 Sanad Service Centres operating across the Sultanate of Oman, processing more than one million electronic transactions annually. The centres have contributed to the creation of approximately 2,350 job opportunities for Omani youth, supporting workforce participation and employment.
In his welcome address, Mohammed bin Salim al Mashaikhi, Director of the Sanad Services Centres Department at the MoCIIP, said, “This forum embodies the spirit of partnership and integration; and reflects the efforts made to enhance service quality and strengthen the role of Sanad Service Centres in serving the community”.
He added that the centres contribute to fulfilling community aspirations and expanding employment opportunities, noting, “Over twenty years of continuous work, Sanad Service Centres have succeeded in developing their service ecosystem, expanding the scope of their operations and adopting best practices to become an effective link between relevant authorities and the community”.
Al Mashaikhi highlighted the role of the centres in facilitating procedures and enhancing customer experience, stating, “Sanad Service Centres provide services that contribute to simplifying procedures, improving customer experience and strengthening the concept of partnership between the public and private sectors”.
The event announced several key initiatives, including the launch of the On-the-Job Training Initiative in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour. The initiative aims to provide more than 1,000 job opportunities for Omani youth, focusing on on-the-job training to develop practical skills and prepare participants for the labour market in line with its needs.
The Ministry also launched the Sanad Excellence Award, which aims to honour outstanding Sanad Service Centres, promote excellence, recognise best practices and enhance overall institutional performance among centres.
In addition, the Munjaz Card was unveiled, authorising Sanad Service Centres to complete transactions on behalf of beneficiaries with government and private entities. The card is expected to speed up procedures, reduce administrative burdens; and improve accessibility and efficiency of service delivery.
Moreover, the Sanad Service Centres Classification Initiative was launched to enhance service quality and raise excellence standards across centres. The initiative introduces clear performance and classification criteria, supports professional development pathways and aims to improve operational efficiency, encourage continuous improvement and strengthen the long-term sustainability of Sanad Service Centres.
The forum also unveiled the signing of five agreements with various entities. The first agreement was signed with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology to establish technical integration between the Unified Government Services Portal and the Sanad electronic portal. This was followed by an agreement with the Supreme Judicial Council to link its services with the Sanad electronic portal.
In addition, an agreement was signed with the Development Bank to integrate banking services with Sanad Centres. The forum also announced a programme with Bank Dhofar under the Government Banking Services initiative to link its services with the Sanad electronic portal, as well as a programme with private-sector technology company Aqari Platform (Frontech) to integrate its services with Sanad Centres.
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