Majid Al Futtaim Group, the leading retail and leisure pioneer in the Greater Middle East, has announced its third City Centre project in Oman.

The mixed-use community of shops, entertainment and hotels will be located in the Sultanate’s second largest city, Sohar, and is due to open its doors in the last quarter of 2011.

Sohar City Centre joins the Group’s Muscat City Centre and the recently opened Qurum City Centre shopping malls in the capital.

Sohar City Centre will feature a new Magic Planet for family fun and entertainment, great shopping, with over a hundred stores, a food court with tastes from around the world and even two hotels – Ibis and Novotel, said a company statement.

The City Centre will also introduce Carrefour, the world’s second largest retailer, to Sohar.

Sohar City Centre will face the main UAE to Muscat highway, just 500 metres from the main Sallan roundabout leading to the residential and commercial areas of the city and the port of Sohar.

“Oman has seen real growth in the past few years and Sohar has risen in popularity as well as population. The timing for the City Centre is perfect,” said Shahram Shamsaee, senior vice-president, Shopping Malls at Majid Al Futtaim Properties.

“The Sohar Industrial Port is the fastest growing industrial hub in the region and it’s attracting a large number of investors,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service