Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has staged a second workshop giving Omani small and medium enterprises (SMEs) a better understanding of how to do business with the Company.
The workshop highlighted the main reasons for unsuccessful submissions for contracts – such as quality of documentation and technical and financial requirements – to enhance the awareness level of local firms on PDO’s tendering process.
Around 60 representatives from SMEs and Local Community Contractors (LCCs) attended the event at the Company’s Mina Al Fahal headquarters in Muscat. Many of those invited had unsuccessfully bid for PDO work in the past.
The workshop covered PDO’s stringent health, safety and environment (HSE) rules and regulations, and key areas such as business experience and resourcing, work quality and financial viability, tender requirements and ethics. In addition, the half-day session highlighted contractual In-Country Value (ICV) and National Objectives stipulations for training and Omanisation, reflecting PDO’s commitment to generate employment opportunities for Omanis.
PDO In-Country Value Director Abla Al Riyami, said: “PDO has always been a pioneer in supporting local Omani companies.
“This workshop was aimed at creating awareness on the main reasons why Omani companies had been unsuccessful in participating for PDO tenders in the past, enhancing their tendering capabilities and understanding our procedures and requirements.
“We anticipate this will help those attending to gain business from PDO in future tenders.”
PDO is an active backer of local SMEs, providing support across a wide range of activities. It held its first workshop for companies who had been unsuccessful in securing PDO work in May and staged a recent seminar in October for Omani enterprises giving them an overview of the oil and gas industry and PDO policies, processes and procedures.
As of September 2015, the Company had awarded additional contracts worth US$2.9 billion to nationally registered firms.