Workers accommodation in Duqm ‘Renaissance Village’ now open

Energy Wednesday 15/November/2017 21:35 PM
By: Times News Service
Workers accommodation in Duqm ‘Renaissance Village’ now open

Duqm: Renaissance Village Duqm, an accommodation facility for workers, was inaugurated under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Fatik Taimur Al Said and His Highness Sayyid Tarik Shabib Taimur Al Said here on Wednesday.
The inauguration was part of the celebrations of Oman’s 47th National Day. The village, which is a 16,960-bed facility, will accommodate the employees of contracting firms in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD).
Stephen Thomas, chief executive officer (CEO) of Renaissance Services Company, was optimistic about the future, stressing that he was confident contractors would approach the company for its services.
“We are in contact with major contractors, including Duqm refinery. All of them are showing a lot of interest without exception,” he mentioned.
“If you look at the 3,000 residents at our facility now, you will notice that a couple of thousand of them are engaged in long-term or permanent projects while a thousand are working in short-term projects,” he added.
Many contractors have been putting up their workers outside, but they were here before the Renaissance Village came up, Thomas remarked.
The CEO emphasised the village was full fledged and operational with the completion of its first phase. However, more construction is under way. “We’re adding some extra facilities. An indoor swimming pool and a multipurpose sports hall is coming up. This will be done in nine months,” he added.
Thomas highlighted that investing in Duqm was a no-brainer. “The long-term potential of Duqm convinced our board. Of course, projects might get delayed but that is natural. Everyone has been adjusting to a tricky few years with the oil prices crashing,” he noted.
Thomas affirmed that Oman being a natural land bridge between Europe and Asia, it had the potential to become a global logistics hub. “Oman is prioritising its projects and its diversification, and Duqm is at the centre of the need to diversify the economy. The country has the ports to become a global logistics hub. The special economic zone is an asset in this respect and will create many jobs,” he observed.
Renaissance Village Duqm will provide accommodation for white- and blue-collar employees in SEZAD.
According to its business model, the residents can avail of permanent accommodation with multiple recreational and healthcare facilities at a price that is lower than or equivalent to the cost of building their own portacabin camps, which have to be removed at the end of the project period.
Renaissance Services is an international facilities management and service solutions company. Listed in Oman on the Muscat Securities Market, the company offers hard and soft facilities management and operates the Renaissance Villages, touted to be a pioneering accommodation solution.