Majid Al Futtaim, a leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, said its RO45-million ($116.5 million) mall development in Oman, City Centre Sohar, was in the final phase of construction and scheduled to open its doors in January.

When operational, the mall is destined to become a landmark in the growing city of Sohar, with more than 120 stores, a nine-screen Vox Cinemas, a 7,348-sq-m Carrefour, entertainment experiences and a variety of dining options, said a statement from Majid Al Futtaim.

Conveniently located on Al Batinah main road, the mall will add 35,301 sq m of gross leasable area to the sultanate’s booming retail sector, it added.

The opening of City Centre Sohar is part of Majid Al Futtaim’s plans to increase the company’s total investment in the sultanate to RO705 million (($1.83 billion) by 2020, remarked Husam Al Mandhari, the senior mall manager and Oman Shopping Malls at Majid Al Futtaim - Properties.

Al Mandhari was speaking during a behind-the-scenes tour of City Centre Sohar by senior government officials including Engineer Salem bin Hamad bin Rashid Al Kindi, the director general of Suhar Development Office, Mohammed bin Salim bin Ali Al Muqbali, the assistant director of the Department of Health, Captain Mohammed bin Hassan Al Marzouqi, the head of civil protection at the Civil Defence Department in the North Batinah province and Mohammed bin Hassan bin Rashid Al Marzouqi, a senior official of the Civil Defence.

The visit included an overview of all safety standards and sustainable design elements at the new mall to enhance the retail sector in Oman.-TradeArabia News Service