Orpic reaffirms its commitment to support Oman's small businesses

Muscat: In keeping with its promise to support and develop Oman’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and as part of its commitment to maximise the In Country Value (ICV), Orpic (Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company), recently signed a project contract with Al Batina International Engineering for improvement of warehouse facilities on its Sohar industrial port premises.
This multi-million contract, signed with a local SME in North Al Batinah region, projects Orpic’s assurance in developing national capabilities. Orpic believes in creating opportunities for local SMEs by ring fencing tenders as well as through its main contractors by identifying suitable scope of work for them.
Ibrahim Al Kalbani, manager – Procurement, Contracting & Inventory (PCI), Orpic said, “From all the bids received, Al Batina International Engineering was not just technically qualified but also offered the most competitive commercial bid. Orpic always encourages the participation of local qualified SMEs because we firmly believe in the In-Country Value proposition.”
“Through this partnership, we believe that the company will be able to create employment for Omanis, provide goods and services by Omani suppliers in Oman which in turn will add value to Oman. Awarding of this contract reaffirms our pledge to support and develop local SMEs in line with the national agenda,” he added.
Abdul Qader Al Farsi, owner of Al Batina International Engineering, said, “We are indeed very happy that Orpic gave us an opportunity to work on this important project. As an Omani company, we are proud to partner with Orpic who are leaders in refining and petrochemical segment.”
Orpic is one of the few companies which provides opportunities to Omani SMEs, which in turn will benefit not just businesses but the Oman economy in general. We will strive our best to fulfill our promise and we look forward to a long partnership with them,” Al Farsi added.
Ibrahim Al Maamari, manager – In-Country Value (ICV) said, “An important element of our endeavour is to make sure that we offer every local company an opportunity to work with us. In fact, we ring fence certain tenders specifically for local contractors. Our aim is to impact Oman’s GDP positively and offer employment opportunities for individuals. We will continue to support local SMEs and promote a culture of excellence among them through mentoring and development.”