Tourism is a key component of Oman 2040, the overarching vision guiding social and economic development in the sultanate. 

The sector will play a key role in promoting Omani culture and national identity by showcasing cultural and historical landmarks, while at the same time promoting economic diversification by creating opportunities for work and investment. 

Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran Group), which was established in 2005 by the government, is playing a leading role in delivering these objectives with a multi-faceted approach that aims to enhance Oman’s tourism offering so that it can deliver on the goals of Oman 2040. 

Omran’s approach covers the entire value chain of the tourism industry, says Hashil Al-Mahrouqi, CEO of Omran.

“This covers three key areas. Number one is creating experiences so that people have a reason to come and visit the sultanate. Number two is hospitality, which means that once people come to Oman, they need somewhere to stay, and Omran has a portfolio of hotels and resorts. The third part is development, which is what we do for people who want to stay in the sultanate, so for that we create destinations.”

Oman’s diverse landscape allows it to be a year-long destination, but only if we emphasise the experiences as part of a year-round calendar and let people know about it

Delivering experiences

While the three areas are all interconnected, creating experiences is the most important aspect for Al-Mahrouqi. “That is the focus because it is the gateway for getting people to Oman,” he says. 

Oman has a long history, wide-ranging geography and varied climates to tap into for tourism experiences.

“We have assessed 15 different locations within the sultanate to showcase the different experiences we can offer,” says Al-Mahrouqi. “What really matters is connecting the experiences and the country’s unique selling points. Oman’s diverse landscape allows it to be a year-long destination, but only if we emphasise the experiences as part of a year-round calendar and let people know about it.”

Distinct submarkets

The variety of Oman’s tourism offering means it already has distinct submarkets with different visitor profiles and durations of stay. When visiting the coast or the mountain destinations, the duration of stay is typically about two days, while visitors to Salalah during the summer monsoon, known as the Khareef, tend to stay longer, with stays of about five days.

“We know that people love to visit Salalah for the Khareef, and we know that it is a long stay for people from the region and within Oman. During the winter, we have visitors who want to glimpse a bit of the city and then want to go camping. Those visits are normally two days and two days,” says Al-Mahrouqi. 

By developing new experiences, Omran will enhance these existing offerings. “With our projects, we want to give experiences that will give visitors a reason to stay longer. We want to give more variety so they can spend more time here in Oman,” says Al-Mahrouqi.

Sustainability commitment

Experiences are just part of Omran’s project portfolio, and the agency is working on a range of other development and hospitality projects.

“Anything we do as a development project has to support our overall goals for the tourism sector. It also has to be sustainable, because sustainability is part of our DNA as an organisation.”

Omran’s commitment to sustainability was underscored in September, when it published its environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework for the group’s operations so they align with Oman Vision 2040 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

For specific projects, Omran has a broad range of development and hospitality schemes across the sultanate.

“We are working on Sustainable City at Yitti and that is in construction now. Then there is Madinat Al-Irfan, which, with 7 million square metres (sq m), will be a destination with experiences, hospitality and lifestyle, so that it connects all the dots with what we are doing as Omran,” says Al-Mahrouqi. 

Two other major projects in Muscat are planned. “There is a very important project called the Opera District next to the Royal Opera House. We are working with our neighbours so that the whole area is thoroughly masterplanned to ensure we are doing something different,” says Al-Mahrouqi. “We are also working on the redevelopment of Sultan Qaboos Port.” 

Outside of the capital, another masterplanned development is planned for Salalah. “It is related to agri-tourism, and covers an area of 5.5 million sq m,” says Al-Mahrouqi. The project will leverage Salalah’s unique climate on the Arabian Peninsula by growing 50,000 coconut trees along with papaya and banana trees.

We are [bringing] Club Med to the region for the first time as a hotel operator 

Omran is also working on hospitality projects. One such project is the Four Seasons development project, which will offer a hotel and branded residences, including what will be Muscat’s most expensive penthouse. 

To the north, on the Musandam Peninsula, Omran is working on a Club Med resort. “We are [bringing] Club Med to the region for the first time as a hotel operator,” says Al-Mahrouqi. 

Another project Omran is developing is a resort on Oman’s tallest mountain, Jebel Shams, which is also the tallest mountain on the Arabian Peninsula. “That is a wellness resort called the Stars Reserve,” he says. “It has been carefully designed so there is no light pollution to affect the views of the night sky.”