Thursday 14 / November / 2024
Muscat: Al Mouj Muscat celebrated its 10th anniversary by unveiling a 5,000 square metre cultural plaza and a maritime memorial to the Jewel of Muscat.
Nasser bin Masoud Al Shaibani, CEO of Al Mouj Muscat, said on the occasion, “Marsa Plaza is a new leisure and social destination that seeks to bring residents and visitors together in a way that reflects the mission of Al Mouj Muscat to deliver Oman’s lifestyle destination that brings people, businesses and culture together to create a world-class waterfront community.”
“Today, we also celebrate the addition of the Jewel of Muscat memorial landmark in the Marsa Promenade, which adds not only an aesthetic touch to the Al Mouj Muscat project, but also embodies the splendour of Omani heritage and thousands of years of Oman’s maritime history,” he added.
Standing at 1.5 metres high and 2 metres wide, the Jewel of Muscat is a memorial of the original ship that was built in the 9th century by Omani sailors, which was used for the maritime silk route from Oman and the Gulf across to India, China, Malaysia and Singapore. It is also built in remembrance of the positive bilateral relationship between Oman and Singapore.
It was built without nails or screws; the planks were sewn together with coconut fibres using the traditional 9th century shipbuilding methods. The Jewel of Muscat was presented as a Royal gift from His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the people of Singapore in recognition of the positive relationship and cooperation between both countries. The ship remains on permanent display in Singapore’s world famous Maritime Experiential Museum.
Al Shaibani continued, saying, “I can proudly say that since its inception, Al Mouj Muscat has seen nothing but success at various levels and fields. As we celebrate its 10th anniversary, we humbly present Marsa Plaza and the Jewel of Muscat memorial as additions to our list of achievements, which in turn have contributed towards enriching the Sultanate’s tourism sector.”
“Bridging diversity is a key for success in open spaces and community development. We have designed Marsa Plaza with this in mind. Moreover, we envision Marsa Plaza as a place where people across diverse cultures will not only meet and enjoy their time, but also respect each other, share enriching moments and events together, and socialise,” he added.
Entertainment
“As a leisure destination, Marsa Plaza offers a diverse recreational, tourism and entertainment experience that addresses and respects its many users. Also, it is an easily accessible meeting place for everyone who wants to socialise, gather with friends and families, and indulge in an enjoyable pedestrian urban and marina front experience. It is also conveniently located, only a couple of minutes from the main intersection of The Walk,” he stated.
