Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran) has signed a finance deal of OMR38 million with QNB Oman for the development JW Marriott Hotel within the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC), part of phase one of the Madinat Al Irfan Urban Development by Omran.

The agreement, signed by Eng Saif al Hinai, Omran’s acting chief executive officer and Saad Musa al Jenaibi, general manager of QNB Oman, was formalised on April 17,said a report in Oman Daily Observer.

The JW Marriott Hotel is part of the up and coming Madinat Al Irfan development which is set to become the new urban hub in Muscat. The hotel opening, slated for the end of 2017, is a proof point of Omran’s commitment to further develop the sultanate’s burgeoning tourism sector.

Operated under the JW Marriott brand, the hotel includes state-of-the-art food and beverage outlets, meeting facilities and a health and leisure club.

Once completed, it will add an additional 304 keys to hotel offerings in the sultanate, the report said.

"The JW Marriott Hotel Project, once completed, will stand as the most prestigious and exclusive of the quartet of hotels planned for the OCEC precinct. The hotel will offer unprecedented levels of luxury, class and service whilst adding significant guest capacity to the hospitality offering in OCEC as well as Muscat as a whole,” said Al Hinai.

Since opening in October 2016, OCEC has successfully hosted 55 regional and international events, building a solid global reputation in the meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibition (MICE) sector.