THE SULTANATE OF OMAN & THE ORCHID SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN JOIN FORCES AT THE CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 2013

The Orchid Society of Great Britain’s 2013 RHS Chelsea Flower Show exhibit will be sponsored by the Sultanate of Oman Ministry of Tourism due to Oman’s strong association with orchids, as exotic orchids including Eulophia guineensis, Eulophia petersii, Habenaria myodes and Habenaria malacophylla are all native to Oman.

The Chelsea Flower Show runs from 21 – 25 May 2013, in the grounds of the Chelsea Hospital, with press day on 20 May 2013. It is Britain’s most prestigious flower show, mainly due to its connection with the royal family, who attend on the opening day every year.

Oman is a nation that is keen to protect its magnificent nature with a new Botanic Garden being created near Muscat, Oman’s capital, that will endeavour to display the entire flora of the Sultanate, including native orchids such as Eulophia guineensis.  This orchid grows in the mountain forests of Oman and has attractive pink and white flowers with the extravagant ‘lip’, or modified petal, which is characteristic of most orchids.

For thousands of years orchids have captivated mankind with their exotic beauty but have also been believed to have medicinal, almost magical, properties. Eulophia guineensis and Eulophia petersii are both used medicinally.

Visit The Orchid Society of Great Britain’s exhibit at Chelsea Flower Show from 21 – 25 May 2013 and discover Oman: www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS-Chelsea-Flower-Show/2013
 
For more information and high resolution images please contact:

Oman Ministry of Tourism Representative Office in the UK and Ireland
Alison Cryer/Nick Smith
Tel: + 44 (0) 208 877 4501/4504
Email: oman@representationplus.co.uk
Visit: www.omantourism.gov.om

The Orchid Society of Great Britain
Visit: www.osgb.org.uk
Media Contact/Designer:     Val Micklewright, 01293 528615, val@micklewright.com
Media Contact/Designer:    Sam Hurley, 07900 250247, sam@ballyhurley.com

THE SULTANATE OF OMAN CHANGES WEEKEND DAYS FROM 01 MAY 2013

As of 01 May 2013, The Sultanate of Oman will be changing their weekend to fall on Friday and Saturday rather than the current Thursday and Friday to bring it in line with the majority of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait all adhering to the same days. The change will also bring Oman in line with their financial institutions as the banking sector has been working to a Friday and Saturday weekend since July 2008.

The news has been welcomed by businesses in Oman as the decision eases trading with the international markets both in the Gulf and the Western world, resulting in further facilitation of Oman’s tourism promotion. “The ‘extra working day’ in line with the UK markets will benefit communications within the tourism sector to ensure that tourist figures to Oman continue to rise”, commented Alison Cryer, the Oman Ministry of Tourism’s UK Based Representative.   

For more information please contact:

Oman Ministry of Tourism Representative Office in the UK and Ireland

Alison Cryer/Nick Smith

Tel: + 44 (0) 208 877 4501/4504

Email: oman@representationplus.co.uk

Visit: www.omantourism.gov.om

THE SULTANATE OF OMAN MAJOR NEW DEVELOPMENT OPENINGS IN 2013/2014

Oman expects to open several new hotels and complexes with more than 2,000 resort and hotel rooms to be added in 2013. Oman’s Capital City Muscat will see the majority of growth with over 720 new rooms, with the rest spread evenly across the country. New hotel openings in 2013 include the Fraser Place Sohar which is currently on track to open later on in 2013 and the Azaiba Hotel, Muscat, an $80 million 5* project that is expected to be operational by mid-2013.

The Sultanate's expanding hotel portfolio will soon include Four Seasons, Banyan Tree Hotels and Hotel Missoni in Muscat’s Jebel Sifah project. Omran (the Sultanate’s leading tourism-related development, hospitality management and investment company) has recently announced that it has passed the 60% construction mark of its 2,000 metre hilltop luxury project, the Alila Jabal Akhdar Resort, set to open its doors in December 2013 and the 110-room Khasab Hotel in Musandam is also set to open towards the end of 2013.

These developments are in addition to boutique hotels that opened in 2012 including the 5* Juweira Boutique Hotel, Salalah Beach, The View and Sahab Hotel in the Jebel Akhdar mountain range and the Jebel Sifah boutique hotel near Muscat. Following the Sultanate’s sustainable tourism model, Omran recently completed the installation and furnishing of ten eco-friendly luxury tents at Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve. The increase in accommodation availability also included the completion of an 800 metre walkway that enables visitors to move from the reserve’s Scientific and Visitor Centre to the tents’ picturesque location.

The Duqm City Hotel a 117 room business hotel equipped with comfortable rooms and business amenities opened its doors at the end of 2012 catering for business travellers seeking affordable and contemporary Omani hospitality along with the 4 Star, 200 room Duqm Crowne Plaza both ideally located from which to visit the Duqm Rock Gardens.

Developments around the Sultanate include a 20-room and 12-villa Cheval Blanc Resort on Sodah Island with private beaches for each unit and a new Crowne Plaza in the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre precinct both due to be completed by the end of 2015.

The Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre, due for completion at the end of 2015, is set to become an iconic landmark for Muscat and the Sultanate of Oman. Surrounded by nature it overlooks a wadi that is a haven for Oman’s exotic bird life. The world-class facility is perfectly suited to host international, regional and national conventions, exhibitions and business events. Amongst its features will be a tiered auditorium seating 3,200 people and more than 22,000 square metres of exhibition space.

 

For more information please contact:
Oman Ministry of Tourism Representative Office in the UK and Ireland
Alison Cryer/Nick Smith
Tel: + 44 (0) 208 877 4501/4504
Email: oman@representationplus.co.uk 

Visit: www.omantourism.gov.om