In April 2016, Water. Desalination + reuse (Faversham House) reported, citing the Times of Oman, that OPWP, Oman's state-owned power and water procurer, was looking for advisers. The tender sought economic, financial and legal support for a procurement round to secure water capacity from 2022, with bids due by 5 June. OPWP planned plants in Muscat and North Batinah of more than 250,000 m³/day each, plus 20,000 m³/day at Khasab. It had already requested proposals for Salalah and Sharqiya.
The report showed Oman planning desalination centrally through a state procurer in successive rounds. The background was an expected rise in demand of 6% a year in the north of the country.