Saturday 27 / April / 2024
Muscat: Thirty-three locations in various governorates have been approved for establishing tourism projects through usufruct agreements by the Ministry of Housing, in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism. It will help increase tourism growth and diversify sources of national income.
The decision calls for allocating land,that has been made as per Royal Decree No. 76/2010, which gives the housing ministry the authority to sign usufruct agreements, for a limited period, with Omani and non-Omani natural and juristic persons for a part of the land owned by the state to set up projects that help in the economic development of Oman.
Five usufruct agreements have been signed, including for two plots in the wilayat of Baushar. The first pact calls for setting up beach services projects (restaurant and café shop) on 150 sqm at Shati Al Qurum, while the second is for building a restaurant complex on 1,421 sqm in the wilayat of Baushar. The third agreement is for a hotel and resort on 150,000 sqm in the wilayat of A’Seeb, and the fourth is for building a tourism resort of over 47,499 sqm, also in the wilayat of A’Seeb.
The fifth pact is for establishing a hotel and a commercial complex on over 179,590 sqm in Al Mubealah in the wilayat of A’Seeb, while the sixth calls for a hotel to be built on 2,614 sqm in the wilayat of Al A’merat.
The seventh agreement allows for construction of a hotel and a resort over 15,000 sqm in Al Khoudh in the wilayat of A’Seeb.
Five sites, spread over 5,002 sq m, have also been allocated through usufruct agreements in the industrial area in the wilayat of Salalah for setting up hotel apartments. An area of 20,000 sqm has been allocated for a tourism camp west of Najd in the wilayat of Thumrait. Land has also been allocated for a resort (10,000 sqm) in the wilayat of Mirbat, another resort (30,000 sqm) in the wilayat of Taqah, and a traditional restaurant project (over 5,835 sqm) in the wilayat of Salalah.
Land (9,246 sqm) has been allocated for a cultural hostel in Al Hoqain in the wilayat of A’Rustaq. Another site, spread over 10,000 sqm, has been set aside for a hotel in Al Alaya area in the wilayat of A’Rustaq.
Agreements have also been signed for setting up a hotel (10,000 sqm) in the Redat Al Busaid area in the wilayat of Nizwa, and another hotel (31,461 sqm) in Al Turath District in the same wilayat. Land has also been allocated for a resort (78,562 sqm) in Jabal Shams in the wilayat of Al Hamra.
Usufruct rights have been granted in the governorate for a tourism complex (10,000 sqm) in Al Fulaij in the wilayat of Ibra, a tourism resort (about 30,000 sq m) in Shajat Safa Al Wasil in the wilayat of Bidiyah, a hotel (4,123 sqm) in Al Suwaireej area in the wilayat of Al Mudhaibi, and a resort (10,000 sqm) in Najd Al Maharmah in the wilayat of Al Qabil.
The housing ministry also approved seven usufruct agreements, the most important of which is the project to develop Ras Al Hadd in the wilayat of Sur by setting up hotels, villas, shopping areas, a wild life centre, a cultural centre over 1,971,823 sqm, and a hotel spread over 12,000 sqm in the Niyabat of Ras Al Hadd in the same wilayat.
Other sites that have been approved, all through usufruct agreements, include: a tourism project (60,000 sqm) in Al Ashkharah in the wilayat of Ja’alan Bani Bu Ali, another tourism resort (15,069 sqm), a rest area (10,000 sqm) in A’Suwaih, a camp (300 sqm) in the same wilayat, and a tourism aviation club project (992,000 sqm) in Al Jawabi.
The Ministry of Housing also gave its nod for tourism projects in the governorate, to include a hotel and hotel apartments in Al Aqdah area, each over 1,530 sqm, in the wilayat of Al Buraimi, and a tourism hotel and resort in Al Madam area over 50,000 sqm.
In the governorate of Al Wusta, which is a central site among many governorates, over 50,000 sqm has been allocated in Ras Madrakah in the wilayat of Duqm for a tourism resort, and over 2,500 sqm for a rest area in the wilayat of Hayma.
