The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, which is being built in Muscat, is expected to open for business in 2014.

While the state-owned Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran) is developing the centre, it will be operated by AEG Ogden, which is taking initiatives to market the venue among top organisers of international events, said a report.

Meanwhile, tenders have been issued for the construction of centre, following the completion of site preparation.

AEG Ogden, a global player that manages 17 convention centres, stadiums and theatres in the Asia-Pacific and Mena (Middle East and North African) region, believes that Oman has several competitive advantages over its regional peers in attracting exhibitions and conventions of international stature, which will have a rippling effect on the entire economy.

Rochelle Uechtritz, group manager, convention sales development of AEG Ogden, was quoted by Times of Oman as saying Oman has an appeal of an attractive destination and since the convention centre will have 1,000 hotel rooms, there will not be any dearth of accommodation facilities for delegates.

Uechtritz said the convention centre will have an exhibition hall with an area of 22,000 sq m, parking facility for 4,000 vehicles, 1,000 hotel rooms spread over four hotels, a major auditorium with a capacity to accommodate 3,200 people, two banquet halls, a shopping mall and a business park.