Upcoming Omani mixed-use districts to be niche destinations
Conrad Prabhu
Business Correspondent - Oman Daily Observer; Magazine Editor - ENERGY OMAN
OMAN DAILY OBSERVER / 22 MARCH 2024
MUSCAT: A pair of upscale mixed-use districts, currently in the early stages of development in Muscat Governorate as well as in Al Jabal Al Akhdar, have been masterplanned to create future-oriented urban spaces that offer a higher standard of living for residents and investors.
According a key official of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, the Al Khuwair Downtown district planned in the heart of Muscat, and the Omani Mountain Destination envisioned atop Al Jabal Al Akhdar in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, are designed to enhance Oman’s appeal as a welcoming nation that beckons to local and international investors well into the future.
Ibrahim al Waili, Executive Director of Oman’s Urban National Strategy, said both initiatives have been conceived for implementation in line with the goals of the government’s 2040 Vision for the country’s long-term, sustainable development.
“We are talking about creating projects that uplift living standards for the people of Oman and those who would like to live in Oman in the coming future,” said Al Waili.? “This is in line with our policy and philosophy to open up the country for residential and (job-creating commercial investment, so Oman will continue to attract talent) for many years to come.”
The official made the comments against the backdrop of MIPIM 2024, a globally renowned real estate expo that concluded in the French city of Cannes last week. Oman’s pavilion at MIPIM served to showcase real estate investment opportunities linked to the multibillion dollar mixed-used districts.
Hosted by ‘Urbanist Monocle’ on its radio programme, Al Waili said both projects are being designed with the support of the internationally renowned firm Zaha Hadid Architects, founded by Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Zaha Hadid.
Shedding light on the Al Khuwair Downtown project, the official said the waterfront development, set in the heart of the capital city, will help cater to Muscat’s burgeoning urban requirements in the form of retail, commercial and residential spaces.
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“Today, we have 1.5 million people living in Muscat, and that number will almost double to 2.7 million by 2040. So we need to introduce world class residential, mixed-use hospitality as well as offices and retail products that people can actually participate and live and work in a place like that.”
Al Khuwair Downtown, located a mere 10 minutes from Muscat International Airport, will be built on just under 1 million square metres of land, partly reclaimed from the sea. “We are going to drill a canal to introduce a more waterfront at the location, but there is also marina that we will introduce as a reclamation of the land into the sea.”
Significantly, around 2 million m2 of gross floor area (GFA) of the downtown project will be offered for real estate development, said Al Waili.
The Omani Mountain Destination, on the other hand, will seek to capitalize on the cool weather prevailing all-year round on the summit of Al Jabal Al Akhdar.
“First of all, the temperature varies between 0 and 30 degrees across summer and winter, so it has the ability to serve as a destination for different type of festivals across the year,” the official said. “The idea is to create a balanced destination – we’re looking at about 2,000 keys of hospitality and about 2,500 residential units. In effect, it’s a little town – neither too big, but not too small either, which ensures the niche quality sought by the end users, while creating a community for the sustainability of that town.”
The Omani Mountain Destination will target a diverse mix of customers from the Gulf, he explained. “We’re talking about people who would like to escape the heat in summer and, instead of flying for long distances, they can easily drive down to a place like Al Jabal al Akhdar.” ?
The development will be high-end, but also contextual. “The balance that we're trying to achieve in that particular project is being contextual as well as contemporary at the same time,” he added.