Nizwa: A massive development plan of tourist places is ongoing in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate to attract local and foreign tourists. Nearly a million tourists are expected to visit the region annually after the completion of projects.

Many tourism projects have been fast-tracked so that the completion rate of development projects in the Governorate has reached almost 66 percent by the end of May 2024.

Some of these projects, executed under the Governorate Development Programme, will be completed during the first half of the current year, and on completion, they will become tourist destinations, enhancing aesthetic value, and serve the local community and visitors.

Sheikh Hilal bin Said bin Hamdan Al Hajri, Governor of Al Dakhiliyah, , said: “ The completion rate of the entrance to the wilayat of Nizwa reached 85 percent, as the basic infrastructure of the project has been completed.”

The work which includes construction from the Firq Bridge to the traffic lights intersection leading to the city centre, with a length of 1.5 km, includes developing both sides of the public road through green areas over an area of 23,000 square metres.

He explained that the implementation of the Nizwa Park project, which is located on an area of 150,000 square metres, will begin next month. The project has been assigned to the executing company and will include a recreational park and an integrated site for family members. It will provide opportunities for investment and open new horizons for the owners of small and medium enterprises. It includes a library, an artificial lake with an area of 4,542 square metres, an indoor games hall, 25,000 square metres of green areas, 1,800 square metres of rubber tiles for the children’s play area, and about 4,000 shade and flowering trees, in addition to sports facilities, restaurants, and kiosks for selling products.

He said: “The Interior Boulevard is one of the entertainment, cultural and service projects that will be implemented soon, especially after the financial nod for the project was given by the Tender Board. Tenders will be opened before the end of this month by the Tender Board. The project cost will be OMR7 millions.

“We expect the private sector to play their part in enhancing their contribution with an amount of OMR1.5 million. It will represent a qualitative leap in the tourism sector of the government. The project is an extension of the plan to develop the Nizwa Gate, with a total area of 145,000 square metres.

He pointed out that the project will be one of the vital entertainment places in the governorate, in addition to an open field and entertainment centre on an area of 145,000 square metres, which includes a sports walkway extending for about 4 kilometres, paths for bicycles and scooters with a length of 1.65 kilometres, and open theatres for the holding of festivals, events, fountains, sites for laser shows, restaurants, mobile libraries, sites for productive families and small and medium enterprises.

It also includes 10 investment sites and 50 sites for usufruct contracts in various fields. It is hoped that the project will attract 944,000 tourists and visitors annually and provide permanent and temporary job opportunities.

Regarding the project of the integrated station for public transport buses and taxis in the state of Nizwa, he said that it was presented on a development platform for investment by the private sector in coordination with the Omani Transport Company (Mwasalat), and the idea of the project was also presented to companies specialised in this aspect. It will be built on an area of 11,412 square metres, and will include a commercial market, a passenger waiting station, and shaded and public parking.

Regarding Samail General Hospital, he confirmed that the company implementing the project has begun actual work, and it will be one of the reliable reference hospitals to integrate with Nizwa and Bahla hospitals and will serve the states of Samail, Izki and Bidbid.

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