ما بعد العقود والتعمين: حوكمة المحتوى المحلي من قياس الإنفاق إلى صناعة الأثر التنمويBeyond Contracts and Omanization: Governing In-Country Value from Measuring Expenditure to Creating Development Impact

In recent years, In-Country Value (ICV) has emerged as one of the key tools adopted by countries to maximize the economic and social returns of major investments and projects. This is achieved by increasing the contribution of national resources to economic activities and transforming expenditure into sustainable value creation. However, the success of ICV is not determined solely by the scale of initiatives or financial allocations; rather, it depends fundamentally on the existence of an effective governance framework capable of directing these efforts toward tangible and measurable development outcomes.

In the Sultanate of Oman, where efforts to achieve the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 and advance economic diversification are accelerating, the governance of In-Country Value stands out as a strategic priority that deserves a deeper discussion than simply focusing on Omanization rates or the value of contracts awarded to local enterprises. The fundamental question is no longer, “How much have we spent locally?” but rather, “What impact has that spending actually created?”

Over the past years, Oman has successfully embedded the concept of In-Country Value across several strategic sectors, particularly energy, industry, and mining. These efforts have generated economic opportunities for national enterprises and strengthened the participation of Omani talent in major projects. Nevertheless, the next phase requires moving beyond sector-specific implementation toward a comprehensive national governance framework, where ICV becomes an integral part of the country's overall economic planning system.

One of the most significant challenges today lies in the multiplicity of entities responsible for In-Country Value and the differences in their measurement and evaluation methodologies. Each organization may adopt its own performance indicators, objectives, and monitoring mechanisms, resulting in fragmented efforts and making it difficult to develop a comprehensive national picture of the real impact of ICV on the economy. In the absence of a unified governance framework, answering fundamental questions becomes increasingly difficult: How much value has actually been created? How sustainable are the achieved outcomes? To what extent have these efforts contributed to the objectives of economic diversification?

Another challenge is the emphasis placed on short-term operational indicators at the expense of long-term development outcomes. Success is often measured by the number of jobs created, the value of local contracts awarded, or the percentage of local expenditure. Far less attention is given to evaluating the long-term impact of these initiatives on the growth of national companies, their ability to expand regionally, their contribution to technology and knowledge transfer, or their role in creating entirely new economic sectors. Consequently, In-Country Value risks becoming merely an operational target rather than a strategic instrument for building a more productive and sustainable economy.

Another issue that deserves attention is the limited integration of economic data related to In-Country Value. While relevant information exists across numerous government entities and institutions, it is often fragmented and disconnected. This limits policymakers' ability to assess the overall impact of ICV and make evidence-based decisions. In today's digital economy, it is no longer acceptable for systems of such strategic importance to operate without unified national platforms for data integration, analysis, and performance measurement.

The essence of In-Country Value governance is not merely oversight; it is the ability to direct resources toward generating the highest possible value for the national economy. This makes it essential to adopt a comprehensive national governance model built around four fundamental pillars: legislation, institutional governance, digitalization, and performance measurement.

From a legislative perspective, there is a need for a unified national framework that clearly defines concepts, roles, responsibilities, and performance indicators, ensuring consistency across all sectors. Institutionally, establishing a coordinating body or a National In-Country Value Council could help unify the national vision while strengthening collaboration among government entities, the private sector, and academic institutions.

From a digital perspective, Oman should develop an intelligent national platform that consolidates In-Country Value data from all relevant entities, enabling real-time measurement of both economic and social impact while linking performance indicators directly to the objectives of Oman Vision 2040. Modern governance is no longer based solely on periodic reporting; it relies on live data that supports timely and informed decision-making.

From a measurement perspective, genuine transformation requires shifting the focus from measuring inputs to measuring outputs and long-term impact. Rather than concentrating exclusively on the value of contracts or the number of beneficiaries, evaluation should encompass ICV's contribution to gross domestic product, productivity, innovation, exports, the growth of national enterprises, and the localization of advanced technologies and knowledge.

The greatest challenge, however, does not lie in developing systems or issuing regulations. It lies in embracing a new philosophy of In-Country Value—a philosophy that views ICV as a national project for shaping the future rather than merely a mechanism for maximizing local expenditure. Countries that have succeeded in this field have not limited themselves to increasing local procurement; they have built globally competitive national companies, developed new industries, and transformed knowledge into sustainable economic value.

This represents the deeper message of In-Country Value governance in the Sultanate of Oman: true value is not measured by what remains within the economy today, but by what becomes capable of growing and expanding tomorrow. In-Country Value is not an end in itself; it is a means of building a more resilient, productive, and independent national economy. The more effectively governance transforms expenditure into knowledge, knowledge into production, and production into competitiveness, the closer Oman will come to achieving its ambitious vision of a sustainable economy driven by Omani talent and supported by national institutions capable of creating value both within the Sultanate and beyond its borders.

The future will not belong to the countries that spend the most, but to those that govern their resources most effectively. From this perspective, the governance of In-Country Value is not merely an administrative choice—it is a developmental necessity and a strategic investment in the future of Oman, its economy, and its coming generations.