Oman’s Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) has recently issued 19 licenses for integrated tourism complexes (ITC), which include several projects located in the governorates of Muscat, Dhofar, South Al Sharqiyah, South Al Batinah, and Musandam.
According to the Ministry, the estimated investment volume for the ITC projects is 4.376 billion Omani riyals (equivalent to $11.3 billion) for complexes that are currently under implementation, and 3.12 billion riyals ($8.1 billion) for other licensed projects that are in the pre-implementation phase.
Read more: Oman Looks to Compete in Tourism with regional countries
Upon completion, these projects will feature a total of 81 hotel facilities, providing 16,576 hotel rooms, 2,552 apartment hotels and villas, and 42,617 housing units. Moreover, they will also include golf courses, harbors, restaurants, cafes, and various retail shops.
As per the Ministry’s statement, the complexes represent a significant addition to the country’s tourism sector, as they comprise hotels, recreational and commercial facilities, as well as real estate units. These complexes play a crucial role in diversifying the tourism products and destinations offered by Oman.
The Ministry also highlighted that the ITCs contribute to increasing the number of hotel rooms, improving the quality of services, and enhancing recreational facilities. Furthermore, these complexes create numerous job opportunities, both directly and indirectly.
Comprehensive services
According to the undersecretary for tourism in MHT, Azzan Qasim Al Busaidi, the tourism complexes represent a contemporary form of tourism cities that offer comprehensive services and facilities within a single location. He further explained that these complexes provide residents with a complete living experience, as the integration of residential, tourism, recreational, sports, and commercial facilities all within the same complex creates a new way of living.
Opportunity to own property
Al Busaidi also emphasized that these integrated complexes offer non-Omanis the opportunity to own property, which encourages the blending of different cultures and attracts capital and businesspeople to the sultanate. This, in turn, supports the national efforts to attract investments and enhance the country’s economic growth.
For more news on hospitality and tourism, click here.
