Terms and Conditions of the Amad Platform for Community Participation

For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions, the following terms shall have the meanings set out below, unless the context requires otherwise:

1.1 Applicant: means any individual, team, startup, company, academic institution, non-governmental organization, public sector entity, private sector institution, or any other legal person submitting an entry through the Platform, whether in their personal capacity or on behalf of another person or institution.

1.2 Dhofar Sustainable Platform for Community Participation: means the Dhofar Sustainable Platform for Community Participation organized by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, including all related activities, evaluation stages, workshops, mentoring and guidance activities, presentations, recognition opportunities, and implementation initiatives.

1.3 Implementation Partner: means AWJ Innovation, appointed by the Ministry to design, manage, operate, facilitate, coordinate, and support the implementation of the Dhofar Sustainable Platform for Community Participation and all related activities.

1.4 The Forum: means the Gulf Green Mobility Forum and any activities, events, workshops, exhibitions, demonstrations, presentations, or networking sessions organized in connection with the Dhofar Sustainable Platform for Community Participation.

1.5 Intellectual Property Rights: means all intellectual property rights recognized under applicable laws, including, without limitation, patents, patent applications, copyrights, database rights, trademarks, trade names, industrial designs, utility models, trade secrets, confidential information, know-how, moral rights to the extent permitted by law software, algorithms, methodologies, documentation, and any other proprietary rights, whether registered or unregistered.

1.6 The Ministry: means the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology of the Sultanate of Oman. For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions, the terms "MTCIT," "the Ministry," and "the Organizing Entity" have the same meaning and refer exclusively to the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology.

1.7 Evaluation Committee: means the evaluation committee, jury members, specialized experts, consultants, reviewers, facilitators, and any other persons appointed by the Ministry to evaluate, review, score, verify, or otherwise assess entries throughout the term of the Platform.

1.8 The Platform: means the official digital platform designated by the Ministry for the purposes of registration, entry submission, evaluation, communication, administration, and oversight of the Dhofar Sustainable Platform for Community Participation.

1.9 Reference Number: means the unique identification number automatically generated by the Platform to confirm the successful submission of a compliant entry.

1.10 Entry: means any idea, proposal, concept, document, presentation, answer, attachment, image, prototype description, supporting material, or any other information submitted by an Applicant through the Platform.

1.11 Terms and Conditions: means this document, together with any schedules, annexes, guidelines, policies, amendments, or official notices published by the Ministry in relation to the Platform.

1.13 Interpretation

Unless the context requires otherwise: a. words in the singular include the plural and vice versa; b. reference to one gender includes all genders; c. headings are included for convenience only and do not affect the interpretation of these Terms and Conditions; d. reference to Articles or Clauses means the Articles and Clauses contained in these Terms and Conditions; e. reference to any legislation includes any amendment, replacement, or re-enactment of that legislation; f. the terms "including," "includes," and "such as" shall be construed as meaning "including, without limitation."

2.1 The Dhofar Sustainable Platform for Community Participation is a national initiative organized by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and managed by AWJ Innovation, aimed at identifying innovative, practical, scalable, and sustainable ideas that could contribute to improving mobility, transport, logistics services, accessibility, environmental sustainability, and related sectors within the Sultanate of Oman.

2.2 The Platform seeks to encourage innovation by providing an inclusive platform that enables individuals and institutions from around the world to contribute ideas capable of generating long-term economic, environmental, technological, and social value for the Sultanate of Oman.

2.3 Participation in the Platform is voluntary and free of charge, and no registration fees, purchases, payments, or financial contributions are required at any stage, unless the Ministry expressly announces otherwise.

2.4 The Platform is open to Applicants from all countries and jurisdictions, subject to these Terms and Conditions and applicable international laws and restrictions.

2.5 Notwithstanding the availability of international participation, each entry must demonstrate a realistic potential for application within the Sultanate of Oman and must contribute to the development of the green mobility ecosystem in the Sultanate.

2.6 The Platform aims to identify ideas that could be implemented in the future within the Sultanate of Oman. Accordingly, Applicants acknowledge that the primary objective of the Platform is to achieve the successful implementation of innovative concepts, not merely to recognize ideas.

2.7 No provision of these Terms and Conditions shall be construed as creating any obligation on the Ministry to fund, purchase, commercially market, incubate, invest in, or implement any entry.

2.8 The selection of any entry for further evaluation, recognition, mentoring, incubation, piloting, presentation, or discussion regarding implementation shall not constitute: a. a grant of funding; b. the creation of a contractual relationship; c. a commitment to invest; d. a commitment to purchase or contract; e. the creation of an employment relationship; or f. a guarantee that the entry will ultimately be implemented.

2.9 The Ministry retains the absolute right, at its sole discretion, to determine the structure, administration, timeline, categories, evaluation methodology, implementation mechanism, and operational procedures of the Platform, provided that any material changes are announced through the official Platform.

2.10 By submitting an entry through the Platform, each Applicant confirms that they have carefully read, understood, and finally accepted these Terms and Conditions, and agrees to be legally bound by them.

3.1 General Eligibility: Participation is open to individuals and legal persons from all countries, subject to these Terms and Conditions and applicable laws and regulations.

3.2 International Participation: The Platform welcomes the participation of innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, startups, academic institutions, companies, government entities, non-governmental organizations, and multidisciplinary teams from around the world.

3.3 Implementation within the Sultanate of Oman: Regardless of the Applicant's nationality or country of residence, each entry must be designed for implementation within the Sultanate of Oman and must demonstrate its potential to achieve measurable economic, environmental, technological, or social value within the Sultanate.

3.4 Eligible Applicants: Participation is permitted as: a. individuals; b. teams; c. startups; d. small and medium enterprises; e. large companies; f. academic or research institutions; g. government entities; h. non-governmental organizations; or i. any other legally recognized institution.

3.5 Team Entries: If an entry is submitted on behalf of a team, one person must be designated as the lead Applicant and shall be the sole authorized representative in all correspondence with the Ministry. The lead Applicant acknowledges and warrants that all team members have authorized them to submit the entry and have agreed to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

3.6 Age Requirement: Persons under the age of eighteen (18) may participate only after obtaining prior consent from a parent or legal guardian, who must accept these Terms and Conditions on their behalf where required by law.

3.7 Multiple Entries: An Applicant may submit more than one entry, provided that each entry represents an independent and original idea, is submitted separately through the Platform, and independently satisfies all eligibility requirements.

3.8 Conflict of Interest: The following persons may not participate: a. employees directly involved in administering the Platform; b. members of the Evaluation Committee; c. contractors providing evaluation services; d. any person with access to confidential evaluation information; In the event a conflict of interest is discovered after an entry has been submitted, the Ministry may determine the appropriate action, including excluding the entry from the evaluation process.

3.9 Compliance with Applicable Laws: Applicants shall ensure that their entry does not violate any law, regulation, contractual obligation, export restriction, sanctions regime, or any other legal requirement applicable within their jurisdiction.

3.10 Verification: The Ministry reserves the right to request documents verifying an Applicant's eligibility at any stage. Failure to provide satisfactory evidence within the specified period may result in exclusion.

3.11 No Vested Right to Participate: Satisfying the eligibility requirements does not confer any vested right to participate. The Ministry may refuse, suspend, or terminate participation if it determines that the entry may affect the integrity, reputation, objectives, security, or administration of the Platform, in accordance with the law.

4.1 Registration: Participation requires registration through the official Platform approved by the Ministry.

4.2 Accuracy of Information: Applicants shall provide complete, accurate, up-to-date, and correct information during registration and throughout the term of the Platform, and the Applicant bears sole responsibility for maintaining the accuracy of their information.

4.3 Submission Period: Entries will only be accepted during the official submission period announced by the Ministry. Any entry received after the published deadline may be rejected without review.

4.4 Languages: Entries may be submitted in either Arabic or English, and both languages shall be treated equally throughout the evaluation process.

4.5 Entry Format: Applicants shall comply with all submission instructions published on the Platform, including word limits, file formats, supporting documents, forms, and mandatory questions.

4.6 Supporting Documents: Supporting documents may be attached where the Platform permits, provided that such documents do not replace the mandatory information required in the submission form.

4.7 Confirmation of Submission: An entry shall only be deemed successfully received after: a. acceptance of these Terms and Conditions; b. successful completion of the electronic submission through the Platform; c. issuance of the Reference Number. Drafts shall not be considered submitted entries.

4.8 Applicant's Responsibility: The Applicant bears sole responsibility for ensuring the accuracy of all information, the completeness and readability of uploaded files, the submission of all required documents, and the completion of submission before the deadline.

4.9 Technical Difficulties: The Ministry shall not be liable for internet connectivity failures, browser incompatibility, hardware or software malfunctions, network congestion, cybersecurity incidents affecting the Applicant, or any other technical issue beyond its reasonable control.

4.10 Amending Entries: An entry may be amended or replaced before the submission deadline, unless the Ministry specifies otherwise. After the deadline, amendments will only be accepted at the Ministry's express request for clarification purposes.

4.11 Requests for Clarification: The Ministry may request clarifications, additional documents, or supplementary information at any stage of the evaluation.

4.12 Withdrawal: An Applicant may withdraw their entry at any time before the announcement of finalists, by submitting a written request through official communication channels. Withdrawal does not affect rights previously granted to the Ministry under these Terms in relation to evaluation, record-keeping, reporting, or legal compliance.

By submitting an entry, the Applicant represents, warrants, and undertakes the following:

5.1 That they possess the necessary legal eligibility and authority to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

5.2 That all information provided is true, complete, accurate, and not misleading.

5.3 That the entry is original, or that the Applicant holds all rights, permissions, licenses, and authorizations necessary to submit it.

5.4 That the entry does not knowingly infringe intellectual property rights, privacy rights, contractual rights, confidentiality obligations, or any other legal rights of third parties.

5.5 That all necessary permissions have been obtained in advance when using materials owned by third parties.

5.6 To disclose any material conflict of interest that could reasonably affect the impartiality of the entry's evaluation.

5.7 That the entry does not contain unlawful, defamatory, discriminatory, misleading, fraudulent, offensive, or inappropriate material.

5.8 That the entry complies with all applicable laws and regulations in the Sultanate of Oman and, where applicable, the laws of the Applicant's jurisdiction.

5.9 To fully cooperate with the Ministry regarding any reasonable request for clarification, verification, or the submission of supporting documents.

5.10 To promptly notify the Ministry of any material change affecting the validity or accuracy of the entry after submission.

5.11 The Applicant acknowledges that any false representation, omission of material information, fraudulent conduct, or breach of these representations may result in immediate exclusion, withdrawal of recognition, or any other action the Ministry deems appropriate.

5.12 The entry does not create any partnership, joint venture, employment relationship, agency, fiduciary relationship, commitment to invest or purchase, or any other contractual relationship with the Ministry or AWJ Innovation, unless expressly agreed in a separate written agreement.

6.1 Ownership of Intellectual Property Rights: Idea submitters retain ownership of all intellectual property rights existing in their entries. The entry itself does not result in the transfer of ownership of any intellectual property rights to the Ministry, AWJ Innovation, or any third party.

6.2 Idea Submitter's Warranty: The idea submitter represents and warrants that the entry is their original work or that they have obtained all necessary rights, permissions, licenses, and authorizations; that it does not knowingly infringe the rights of third parties; and that they have the legal authority to grant the rights and licenses set out in these Terms.

6.3 License Granted to the Ministry: By submitting their entry, each Applicant grants the Ministry and the Implementation Partner a perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, and sublicensable license to:

a. receive, access, review, evaluate, analyze, copy, store, archive, translate, and classify the entry;

b. make it available to members of the Evaluation Committee, experts, consultants, mentors, implementation partners, government entities, academic institutions, and third parties engaged by the Ministry;

c. prepare summaries, reports, presentations, publications, promotional materials, statistical analyses, dashboards, and other materials;

d. display or publish the entry's title, category, a non-confidential summary, and the Applicant's or institution's name, unless the Applicant requests anonymity and the Ministry agrees to such request;

e. reproduce the entry in any format necessary for administering, promoting, reporting on, or implementing the Platform;

f. exercise all rights reasonably necessary to administer, evaluate, promote, develop, and facilitate the implementation of the entry. This license shall remain in effect after the conclusion or suspension of the Platform, or the Applicant's withdrawal or cancellation of participation.

6.4 Confidential Information: Applicants are strongly advised not to include confidential information, proprietary algorithms, trade secrets, commercially sensitive information, or materials whose disclosure could harm future patent protection, unless necessary for evaluation. The Ministry shall take reasonable administrative measures to protect confidential information; however, the Platform is not a confidential filing or patent registration system.

6.5 Third-Party Intellectual Property: The Applicant bears sole responsibility for obtaining the necessary permissions when including intellectual property rights owned by third parties, and the Ministry shall not be liable for any claim arising from unauthorized use thereof.

6.6 Purpose of the Platform: The primary objective is to identify innovative ideas capable of generating measurable value through practical implementation in the Sultanate of Oman. Applicants acknowledge that the purpose is to facilitate innovation and implementation for the public benefit, not merely to recognize or reward ideas.

6.7 No Implementation Rights Arising from Selection: The selection of any entry, whether on a shortlist, as a finalist, as a winning idea, or in any other capacity, does not create any exclusive right for the Applicant to develop, commercially exploit, implement, or license the entry.

6.8 The Ministry's Right to Determine the Implementation Model: The Ministry alone shall, at its absolute discretion, determine the most appropriate implementation path for any selected entry, taking into account technical capability, commercial feasibility, public interest, implementation readiness, financial sustainability, alignment with policies and regulatory requirements, and other factors. The Ministry's decision shall be final and not subject to appeal.

6.9 Appointment of an Alternative Implementation Partner: Where the Ministry determines that the Platform's objectives would be better achieved through another implementing party, it may appoint, engage, or collaborate with another entrepreneur, founder, startup, small or medium enterprise, private company, public entity, government entity, academic or research institution, international or non-governmental organization, or any other implementation partner it deems appropriate. The implementation partner may develop, adapt, improve, commercially market, test, integrate, or implement the entry, in whole or in part, within the Sultanate of Oman.

6.10 Participation of the Original Applicant: The Ministry may invite the original Applicant to participate in the development, implementation, incubation, marketing, or pilot phase, provided that any such participation is subject to separate written agreements.

6.11 Non-Participation or Refusal: If the original Applicant refuses to participate, fails to respond within the specified period, fails to demonstrate the necessary technical, commercial, financial, or operational capabilities, fails to comply with implementation milestones, or becomes unable or unsuitable to participate, the Ministry may proceed with implementation through another partner without any further obligation to the Applicant.

6.12 Adaptation and Development of Selected Ideas: The Ministry or appointed implementation partners may adapt, improve, integrate, modify, expand, simplify, or develop selected ideas as necessary to achieve the Platform's objectives.

6.13 Public Interest: Implementation decisions shall prioritize national benefit, technical feasibility, and successful implementation over the identity of the original Applicant.

6.14 No Obligation to Implement: These Terms do not obligate the Ministry or AWJ Innovation to implement, market, fund, or purchase any entry, and the Ministry may discontinue consideration of an entry at any stage without incurring liability.

6.15 Recognition of Applicants: The Ministry may, at its discretion, recognize the original Applicant when their entry is selected for implementation through certificates, public announcements, presentations, publications, or otherwise, without this giving rise to any ownership right, financial entitlement, or contractual right unless agreed in writing.

6.16 Reservation of Rights: These Terms do not limit the ability of the Ministry and AWJ Innovation, individually or in collaboration with third parties, to research, develop, purchase, implement, or support technologies, products, services, policies, or projects similar or identical to the submitted ideas, provided that no protected proprietary information is knowingly misused.

6.17 Applicant's Acknowledgment: The Applicant expressly acknowledges that the entry is intended to contribute to innovation in the Sultanate of Oman, that the Ministry shall determine the appropriate implementation path, that implementation may be carried out by another party, and that the entry does not automatically create any right to funding, implementation, investment, purchase, licensing, marketing, or ownership of the implementation project.

7.1 Evaluation Principles: All compliant entries shall be evaluated according to the methodology determined by the Ministry and AWJ Innovation, fairly, transparently, impartially, and objectively.

7.2 Multi-Stage Evaluation: Evaluation may be conducted in one or more stages, including administrative compliance review, automated screening and classification, technical evaluation, expert review, committee assessment, interviews, presentations and demonstrations, due diligence, and any other necessary evaluations.

7.3 Evaluation Criteria: Evaluation criteria may include innovation and originality, feasibility and practicality, environmental impact, commercial viability, scalability, sustainability, implementation readiness, alignment with national priorities, and any additional criteria determined by the Ministry.

7.6 Requests for Clarification: The Ministry and AWJ Innovation may request additional information, clarifications, documents, or presentations at any stage.

7.7 Verification: The Ministry may verify any information related to ownership, technical feasibility, commercial claims, intellectual property, or implementation capability.

7.8 Final Decision: Decisions of the Ministry and AWJ Innovation regarding eligibility, evaluation, shortlisting, selection, implementation, and recognition shall be final and binding, and no correspondence or appeals shall be entertained regarding them unless expressly permitted by the Ministry.

8.1 Applicants acknowledge that the Platform may use artificial intelligence technologies to assist in classifying, analyzing, summarizing, comparing, prioritizing, and conducting preliminary evaluation of entries.

8.2 The use of artificial intelligence is intended solely to improve efficiency, consistency, and quality in the evaluation process.

8.3 No entry may be rejected based solely on automated processing, and all substantive evaluation decisions shall be subject to review by one or more human evaluators appointed by the Ministry.

8.4 Applicants expressly consent to the processing of their entries using artificial intelligence technologies for purposes related to administering the Platform and evaluating entries.

8.5 Where reasonably possible, personally identifying information shall be removed or masked prior to AI processing.

8.6 Analyses, summaries, classifications, recommendations, and scores generated by artificial intelligence are advisory only and do not constitute the final decision.

9.1 The Ministry and AWJ Innovation may collect personal and institutional information necessary for administering the Platform.

9.2 Personal information shall be processed solely for purposes of administration, evaluation, implementation, communication, reporting, auditing, statistical analysis, and compliance with legal obligations.

9.3 Personal information may be disclosed to AWJ Innovation, members of the Evaluation Committee, government entities, implementation partners, professional consultants, and contracted service providers, to the extent reasonably necessary for administering or implementing the Platform.

9.4 The Ministry shall take reasonable administrative, organizational, and technical measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, modification, or destruction.

9.6 Personal information shall not be retained beyond the period reasonably necessary for the Platform's purposes, or as required by applicable laws.

9.7 Applicants may request access to, correction of, or deletion of their personal information, in accordance with applicable legal requirements and the Platform's operational needs.

10.1 The Ministry and AWJ Innovation may announce, through various media channels, entries that are shortlisted, reach the final stage, or are selected.

10.2 Applicants grant the Ministry permission to use names, institutional names, logos, images, video recordings, presentations, and non-confidential summaries for promotional, educational, governmental, and reporting purposes related to the Platform.

10.3 Applicants selected for interviews, presentations, or public events agree to participate in reasonable media and promotional activities organized by the Ministry.

10.4 The Applicant is not entitled to any additional compensation for media activities, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

11.1 Corrections may be requested before the submission deadline.

11.2 The Ministry and AWJ Innovation may request clarifications regarding any entry.

11.3 An Applicant may withdraw their entry before the announcement of finalists.

11.4 Withdrawal does not affect any licenses, representations, or permissions previously granted under these Terms, where their continuation is necessary for administrative, legal, reporting, or archival purposes.

12.1 The Ministry may reject or exclude any entry in the event of the submission of false or misleading information, infringement of intellectual property rights, submission of unlawful, offensive, discriminatory, defamatory, or fraudulent content, an attempt to manipulate the evaluation process, use of unauthorized automated submission tools, breach of these Terms, an effect on the integrity or reputation of the Platform, or any other circumstance the Ministry reasonably considers to justify exclusion.

12.2 Exclusion may occur at any stage, including after recognition or the announcement of finalists, and the Ministry may withdraw any recognition or opportunity previously granted.

13.1 No Guarantee: Recognition does not constitute funding, purchase, investment, employment, commercial marketing, or implementation.

14.1 The Ministry retains, at its sole and absolute discretion, the right to administer, amend, interpret, suspend, postpone, extend, or cancel the Platform, in whole or in part, whenever it deems this necessary to protect its objectives, integrity, security, fairness, or lawful administration, without incurring any liability or right to compensation as a result.

14.2 The Ministry may amend the Terms and Conditions, submission requirements, eligibility criteria, evaluation criteria, timelines, implementation procedures, participation categories, or any other aspect of the Platform, provided that material amendments are published through the official Platform or other official channels.

14.3 The Ministry retains the right to verify, investigate, and audit any entry, Applicant, supporting document, representation, statement, or claim, and Applicants shall fully cooperate.

14.4 Evaluation of an entry may be suspended pending receipt of satisfactory information where verification or additional clarifications are required.

15.1 Participation is entirely voluntary and at the Applicant's own risk, and the Applicant bears full responsibility for decisions made in connection with their participation.

15.2 To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Ministry, AWJ Innovation, the Evaluation Committee, implementation partners, consultants, contractors, sponsors, and participating government entities shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, exemplary, punitive, or special loss or damage arising from or connected to participation, submission of the idea, evaluation outcomes, implementation decisions, cancellation or suspension of the Platform, technical failures, data loss, communication disruptions, cybersecurity incidents, or decisions made by the Applicant as a result of participation.

15.3 The Platform, the evaluation process, mentoring activities, reports, artificial intelligence tools, and related services are provided "as is" and "as available," and the Ministry makes no representation or warranty regarding continuous availability, accuracy, completeness, reliability, fitness for a particular purpose, or the commercial success of any entry.

15.4 The Ministry and AWJ Innovation shall not be liable for lost business opportunities, anticipated revenue, investment opportunities, commercial reputation, profits, or any future commercial benefit.

15.5 The Applicant bears sole responsibility for retaining backup copies of submitted materials, protecting confidential information, and obtaining independent legal, financial, technical, or commercial advice as needed.

16.1 Each Applicant agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Ministry, AWJ Innovation, the Evaluation Committee, implementation partners, government entities, employees, officers, consultants, contractors, representatives, and agents, from and against any claims, actions, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising from or related to: a. breach of these Terms and Conditions; b. infringement of intellectual property rights; c. breach of confidentiality; d. submission of false representations; e. unlawful conduct; f. negligent acts or omissions; g. misuse of the Platform; h. violation of applicable laws.

16.2 The indemnification obligation set out in this Article shall survive the conclusion, withdrawal, suspension, cancellation, or termination of the Platform.

17.1 The Ministry shall not be liable for any delay, suspension, interruption, amendment, or cancellation of the Platform arising directly or indirectly from events beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, natural disasters, extreme weather conditions, pandemics, or any other circumstances beyond the Ministry's reasonable control.

18.1 Governing Law These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Sultanate of Oman.