Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran) said it is set to start work on its ambitious RO500-million ($1.3 billion) Mina Sultan Qaboos Waterfront Project next year.

Aimed at transforming Port Sultan Qaboos into a major tourism-based mixed-use waterfront destination, the project will be developed in four phases, said the company responsible for spearheading the sultanate’s tourism-related investment, development and management.

Omran, the leading executive government arm for tourism development in Oman, has a proven track record of delivering world-class tourism and related projects based on its core philosophy of sustainability, transparency and partnering with renowned regional and international investors.

The landmark urban regeneration scheme covers a 101-hectare area in Sultan Qaboos Port and will include business and residential zones, retail centres, seven hotels (three, four and five stars), waterfront promenades, berthing facilities for cruise liners and super yachts, tourist attractions and recreation facilities.

Phase One will include a number of entertainment and lifestyle attractions that will generate significant footfall and make the waterfront a day-long visitor experience.

It will boast a number of leisure and entertainment facilities such as an SME (small and medium enterprises) incubator, arts, crafts and organic farmers market (emporium), a tourism visitor’s centre, boutique and destination shopping, restaurants and cafes, a marine heritage visitor centre featuring the tall ship Shabab Oman, an aquarium and an extensive kid’s entertainment village, said the statement from Omran.  

Phase One, which also includes Muttrah fisherman’s wharf, fish suq, a five-star marina hotel with a yacht club and marina, a four-star family hotel, hotel-operated residential apartments, starter apartments for first-time home buyers with extensive parking and park-and-ride locations, is likely to be completed by 2020.

The second phase, which will kick off in 2019, will boast a five-star hotel, a four-star hotel, multi-use conference facilities, a healthcare centre and sports club and residential apartments followed by the third phase which will see the completion of new wharf and berthing facilities to cater for cruise liners, ferries and coastguard vessels.

It will also include an additional boutique hotel, branded residential apartments with retail and hospitality areas.

The fourth and final phase includes a budget hotel, logistics zones, an integrated healthcare clinic and an accommodation zone for employees.

The giant project, which is likely to be completed by 2027, will be launched for investment in November, said Dr Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry.

The development has already received expressions of interest from leading global hotel operators to manage one of the seven iconic waterfront hotels. These include The Address (Emaar), Mandarin Oriental hotel Group, Hyatt, Viceroy Hotels and Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, Banyan Tree Luxury Hotels and Resorts, Chedi and Four Seasons.

Omran, meanwhile, has announced plans to set up a new company to develop the project, in which it will hold a 51 per cent stake with the remaining to be taken up by pension and investment funds, and private sector investors.-TradeArabia News Service