New Openings in Oman

Here’s a breakdown of new openings and events throughout the country, occurring from later this year through 2016.

And with plans for completion by 2016, the new Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC, www.omanconvention.com) is set to become a true architectural landmark for Oman. The eco-friendly complex will be one of the first constructions in the world to be certified by LEED, an internationally recognised green building program. The OCEC will overlook the surrounding wadi, a natural reserve for many of Oman’s exotic bird life. Indoors, it will feature a tiered auditorium seating 3,200 people, two ballrooms and more than 22,000 square metres of exhibition space – all perfectly suited to host large-scale conventions, exhibitions and business events.

A new national railway company is also being developed in Oman. This project is the largest within the country’s transport sector. It will connect Muscat, Duqm Port and Salalah, covering over 1,000km and will likely go on to link the country with other Gulf States such as Kuwait and Yemen. Passenger trains are projected as travelling at speeds of up to 200km/hr.

Airport Expansion: The new terminals at Muscat International Airport in their final phases will have some of the best in the world, first of its kind technology and systems in place. The airport which currently handles about six million passengers a year, will have the capacity for 12 million passengers when the terminal expansion is completed this year. The new terminal at the Salalah International Airport is designed for a capacity of six million passengers. It will be built in four stages, with the first stage envisaged for completion in 2014. Stage one will expand the airport's passenger capacity to one million passengers a year.

Discover more about Oman: www.omantourism.gov.om