With the advent of summer and the vacation season, tourist activities are on the rise in most of the governorates which boast of several natural attractions including plains, mountains and deserts especially with the approach of the Khareef season in Dhofar Governorate.
The Ministry of Tourism is striving to improve the sector which is considered as a major contributory to the national economy by developing various tourism spots and attracting foreign investments.
Omran, which is tasked by the government to develop the tourism sector and manages investment projects, is a major player in actualizing the government's target of transforming the tourism sector into a main contributor to the national economy and a provider of jobs for Omanis.
Omran's current projects which cost $10 billion include some of the largest development projects such as Oman Conference and Exhibition Centre and the company's policy is to execute projects all across the Sultanate.
The company has more than 20 projects at different stages of implementation, these include residential and tourism projects as well as hotels and resorts in various governorates.
Saraya Bandar Jissah is among a new integrated tourism complex, offering exclusive homes and two 5-star beachfront hotels, as well as recreational and community facilities, on a beautiful secluded beach surrounded by the Hajjar Mountains, just East of Muscat. With villas, apartments and hotels, the development is positioned sympathetically amongst 2.2 million square metres of undulating hillsides.
The project is being developed by Oman's tourism development and investment arm, Omran, in partnership with Saraya Oman, a subsidiary of Saraya Holdings, and the leading international development company.
Construction has now started on site, with the advanced earthworks package under way, after an extensive environmental impact assessment, which resulted in wide-ranging archaeological protection work.
The Minister of Tourism, Ahmed bin Nasser al Mehirzi, during his recent tour of South Al Sharqiyah Governorate, has said that the Ministry continues its plans, programmes and strategies towards the development of the tourism sector in different governorates of the Sultanate and it has made great strides in this aspect, including the establishment of integrated plants on the long roads and the agreement of the first project of these stations will soon be signed with Omran, and to be on Qurayat-Sur road, adding that in the coming stage there will be two stations on Adam-Thumrait-Salalah road, where each station will contain a gas station, restaurants, restrooms and stores and there is a study of all roads in the Sultanate.
Oman Daily Observer
5 June
