“Today, we introduce our vision for the Omani Mountain Destination to the global community,” announced Dr Khalfan Al Shueili, the Middle Eastern country’s Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, a few weeks ago. He was referring to a “significant milestone”, a mixed-use project planned for the Al Jabal Al Akhdar (“green mountain” in Arabic) mountain range, a further step in “delivering a new international destination that celebrates and protects Oman’s natural landscapes and ecology”. Beyond a few suggestive digital images that help us get an idea of the project, we know some of its details. Let’s see what they are:
As we said, Oman Mountain Destination (OMD) is a tourist complex associated with a mixed-use development, with a total of 2,527 homes, 2,000 hotel rooms, and a health and wellness centre. In addition to this residential, commercial and hotel offer, the project foresees a local and international biodiversity research centre, as well as an altitude sports training centre, amphitheatres, a museum, and parks and public spaces. Due to its high altitude, the Al Jabal Al Akhdar mountain range has a climate with an average annual temperature of 22°C, which is very favourable for the proposed activities and infrastructure.
The $2.4 billion project will be built according to a master plan prepared by the international design, engineering and project management firm AtkinsRéalis. However, with the announcement of its launch, a commitment was made to carry out the project in collaboration with local communities, who will be consulted on the project. Indeed, this new tourist destination aims to attract sustainable development opportunities, the conservation of the existing landscape and ecology, and the promotion of the area’s cultural heritage.
In this regard, Minister Al Shueili added that the project will include the Wadi Al Harbi Park, a new bridge and a new road providing access from the north to the population of the country’s two most populous governorates, in addition to agricultural and agro-tourism activities, family recreational activities, mountain biking and facilities for extreme sports such as bungee jumping and rock climbing. Finally, to the overall improvement of the area’s transport infrastructure, the OMD will add a new cable car.
This new resort project, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, falls within the strategic objectives of the sultanate, which seeks to increase tourism’s contribution to GDP to 5% by 2030 and 10% by 2040. The government expects the destination to attract more than 8,000 residents and a daily average of 2,350 overnight stays and 2,000 visitors once completed. Still, Minister Al Shueili hopes in “welcoming international partners to work with us (…) [to] create a destination that delivers prosperity for the local communities of the Jabal and the people of Oman for generations to come”.
Source: Zawya.
Images: ING Media.
