Oman National Engineering & Investment Co SAOG (ONEIC) has secured two major contracts from Nama Group, worth a combined $45 million, to support the deployment of electricity smart meters across the Sultanate.
The contracts, announced in separate filings to the Financial Services Authority (FSA), highlight the country’s ongoing efforts to modernise its power infrastructure as part of a broader digital transformation.
The larger of the two contracts, valued at around $41 million, was awarded by Nama Electricity Distribution Company, a subsidiary of Nama Group, for the supply and operation of smart meters and head-end systems (HES).
In addition, ONEIC secured a $4 million contract from Nama Dhofar Services Company to handle smart meter reading, replacement, and maintenance in the Dhofar Governorate.
As part of the first contract, approximately 300,000 smart meters will be installed, covering both single-phase and three-phase meters across key regions in Oman.
These contracts align with Nama Group’s multi-year initiative to replace traditional analog meters with smart meters, a key component of the National Smart Meter Programme overseen by the Authority for Public Services Regulation (APRS).
The program, which aims to install 1.2 million smart meters nationwide by 2025, is part of Oman’s efforts to enhance efficiency in the electricity sector through digital technology.
The introduction of smart meters will eliminate the need for physical meter readings, which have historically been prone to errors and inaccurate billings.
By allowing for remote reading and automated data collection, the new meters are expected to significantly reduce billing disputes and improve the overall efficiency of the billing and collection system across the country.
By the end of 2021, approximately 145,000 smart meters had already been installed, covering large and new customers.
The remaining meters for existing customers will be phased in through 2025, with the responsibility for installation falling on Oman’s five electricity distribution companies—Muscat Electricity Distribution Company (MEDC), Mazoon Electricity Company, Majan Electricity Company, Rural Areas Electricity Company (Tanweer), and Dhofar Integrated Services Company (DISC)—all of which are subsidiaries of Nama Group.
