Oman Observer reported that under the auspices of Mr Ahmed bin Abdulnabi Macki minister of national economy and deputy chairman of Financial Affairs & Energy Resources Council, construction of the iconic Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre project began in the presence of Dr Rajha bint Abdulameer bin Ali minister of tourism and chairperson of Omran and guests at the Hayy al Irfan in Bausher.
The key components of the centre include an auditorium with a total seating capacity for 3,000 people, exhibition halls with 25,000 square meters space and with a capacity to accommodate 10,000 people in the first phase. The project will also have banquet halls, meeting space, 85,000 square meters of office space in a grade A business park, four hotels with a total of 1,000 rooms and a large shopping mall.
Oman's first international standard convention centre which represents a major investment by Omran, this will allow Muscat to become a regional destination serving the MICE sector, providing an additional boost to Oman's fast growing tourism industry.
Mr Macki welcomed the impact that the centre will have on the Omani economy, saying that "This facility will allow Oman to become a major new destination for conferences, exhibitions and other major business events. These will have a major impact on our economy in the future, generating many hundreds of jobs for Omanis and attracting hundreds of thousands of business travelers each year."
Dr Rajha said the centre represented an important element of Oman’s tourism strategy. He added that "Over recent years, Oman has taken major strides forward in attracting tourists to our many leisure resorts and hotels. Our strategy has always been to target the business sector too and this investment will provide us with an outstanding venue for conferences and exhibitions."
Mr Wael bin Ahmed al Lawati CEO of Omran said that Omran felt privileged to be chosen to develop this strategic project. He added that "We have completed many important stages of the design and planning 1294050686173736400 work for the centre and we are delighted to have started work on site. We have been given an ambitious timeline to complete the first phase of the project but as we showed with the site for the Asian Beach Games, we can rise to the challenge. We commit to delivering a facility which will make Oman proud; one which will stand against the very best convention centers in the world."
Located just four kilometers from Muscat Airport, the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre will act as a gateway to Muscat. Its landmark design will draw on Oman’s strong cultural heritage and architectural traditions, taking full advantage of the natural beauty of its surroundings.
(Sourced from www.omanobserver.om)
