Dhofar gears up for tourist season: Oman

Public and private agencies, the Office of the Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar, represented by Dhofar Municipality, are in the middle of preparations.

Dhofar Municipality is also developing the main road network in Salalah city.

Dhofar Governorate is also witnessing rapid development in infrastructure projects such as the Heart Unit, the expansion of Salalah Airport, power and water desalination plant, the new Sultan Qaboos Hospital and the development of Hasik city.

Other projects to be implemented soon include expansion of the general cargo terminal at Salalah Port, developing Al Mughsail Beach and Al Hafah area, and water games park in Salalah.

The medical city project includes tourist and treatment services, besides diagnostic centres, organ transplant, haemodialysis centre, rehabilitation centre, college of medicine, nursing college, research and studies centre, alternative medicine health centre, hotel apartments and staff accommodation.

Investment projects under way include the first stage of the Salalah Beach Resort and Alsodah Island Resort (one of Al Halaniyat Islands) and the 27-million rial Tourist Commercial Mall in Al Wadi area.

Projects also include the integrated tourist project in the Niyabat of Al Shuwaimiyah and the tourist complex in Aftalqoot area.

The Zahrat Al Khareef project in Salalah, on 29,000sqm, includes 586 units that are offered for freehold by Omanis and GCC nationals.

Royal Oman Police is providing guidance, assistance and creating awareness to ensure smooth traffic on public roads. It also operates patrols on Nizwa-Thumrait road, plains, mountains and tourist sites. Al Juwairah Hotel, the latest five-star hotel that began soft operation recently, will be opened in August. It has 65 rooms, including 21 suites overlooking the sea, besides restaurants and recreation facilities.

International hotels such as Crowne Plaza, Hilton and Marriot have lined up programmes for their guests during summer. Hotels, hotel apartments and villas, too, are doing it. Work is under way at Salalah Beach Resort to build five-star hotels, such as Rotana Hotel (400 rooms) Club Meed (365 rooms) and Mevenpick (395).

There were 339,579 Salalah Khareef visitors during 2011, up 29.5 per cent from 2010.

The twenty-eight-day long Salalah Tourism Festival is a key tourism activity in the Sultanate in general and Dhofar governorate in particular.