Sandan Development has signed an agreement with Towell Construction & Company (TCC) to construct the first integrated light industries park in Oman, said a report.

The contracting firm will start work on the first phase of the park next month and the whole project will be completed after two years, Said Al Rashdi, executive manager at Sandan, was quoted as saying in a Times of Oman report.

Sandan Light Industries Park will spread over an area of 250,000 sq m and will accommodate 2,400 workshops, automobile showrooms, building material shops, 450 office space and 1,400 residential units, it said.

The project, which is fully invested by local investors, has a strategic location at Halban midway between Muscat Expressway and Al Batinah Expressway, and 5 km from Al Muabailah exit on the expressway.

As many as 15,000 people will be accommodated, who will have all facilities within the park which is planned to feature a mosque, a hypermarket, a hospital, restaurants, shops, banks and travel agencies.

Discussing the progress so far, Al Rashdi said that about 90 per cent of ground levelling work has already been completed, which was a challenge due to high standards adopted by Sandan, added the report.