Hawana Salalah to host young Omani minds to Ideate solutions to transform Salalah into a 'smart city'

Salalah: Muriya’s Hawana Salalah has partnered with Oman Smart City Platform to host young Omani minds during the Salalah Hackathon, offering these talents the opportunity to explore and ideate dynamic yet simple solutions to transform Salalah into a ‘Smart City’ of the future. Hawana Salalah is home to a unique selection of 4- and 5-star hotels boasting over 1,100 rooms available at Fanar Hotel and Residences, Rotana Salalah Resort, and Juweira Bourique Hotel. Hawana Salalah with its serene vibe and picturesque surroundings, was the ultimate resort retreat to get the creative juices of these novice thinkers flowing with extraordinary ideas. This collaboration is part of Muriya’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities to engage the local community and expand the potential of the Governorate of Dhofar as a prime destination for tourism and knowledge transfer.

The event took place between August 1^st and 3^rd 2019 at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex in Salalah with participation of young developers, graphic designers, students and a host of tech-savvy individuals from Oman and the region. Their main task was to prototype and develop smart solutions helping to transform Salalah into a ‘Responsive and Smart City’. The theme of the hackathon for this year focused on tourism, logistics and transportation, environment and water, as well as conservation of heritage and historical sites.

Mahmoud El Baroudi, Chief Operating Officer of Muriya said: “Hawana Salalah is Muriya’s flagship destination. We are committed to enrich the lives of local communities around our destinations and of course across the Sultanate.” He added, “The Salalah Hackathon was a vehicle for collecting and communicating data among these bright young minds. With tourism being a key topic, we are counting on participants to share novel ideas that will improve the experience for Oman’s large influx of local and international tourists. This is an exciting opportunity for all relevant parties invested in boosting tourism and investment in Oman to consider and tap into some of the brilliant ideas these innovators came up with.”

The Salalah Hackathon is organized by the Smart City Platform, a strategic project established by The Research Council, (TRC), the Supreme Council of Planning, Muscat Municipality and the Information Technology Authority. Major partners of the Hackathon include the Middle East Center for Consultancy and Studies and the Google Developers Group. Dr Ali Bin Suhail Tabuk, CEO of the Middle East Center for Consultancy and Studies, said: “The Salalah Hackathon is an ideal platform to drive growth in the Governorate of Dhofar and improve quality of life of people now and into the future. The creative environment of this event allows for in-depth dialogue, knowledge-exchange, and opportunities for meaningful networking among the co-creators of tomorrow in their quest to build thriving cities.”

As Oman’s largest integrated tourism complex, Hawana Salalah plays a growing role in contributing to Oman’s tourism sector. As a developer of Hawana Salalah, Muriya’s Corporate CSR programme is designed to instil a positive impact on society and includes three main initiatives, ‘Maharati’, ‘Mahali’ and ‘Musharakati’. The first initiative ‘Maharati’ focuses on building local capacities through building capacity programmes, training and skills’ development in the hospitality, tourism and leisure sectors. The second initiative ‘Mahali’ is dedicated to maximise local produce sales, opening new markets and promote unique local-made products. The third initiative ‘Musharakati’ prioritises community engagement in relation to social activities, environmental conservation and community partnerships. The Salalah Hakathon constitutes a prime opportunity to enable such empowerment of the young demographic in the Governorate of Dhofar.

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About Muriya
Combining global and local expertise, Muriya is a partnership between the internationally acclaimed developer of fully-integrated towns, Orascom Development Holding (ODH) (70%) and the leading government arm for tourism development in Oman, Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN) (30%). Established in 2006, Muriya has been leading a solid business performance boasting investments worth over $650 million in developing Oman’s most iconic Integrated Tourism Complexes (ITCs), while highlighting the Sultanate’s history, heritage and natural beauty in the process. ‘Developing the Future Together’ is Muriya’s priority across its portfolio of projects that includes, Hawana Salalah, Jebel Sifah and As Sodah Island, located in the Indian Ocean across the southern coast of Dhofar.

Muriya’s flagship destination Hawana Salalah is located in the tropical city of Salalah in the Governorate of Dhofar southeast of Oman, with an area of 13.6 million sqm and will house a total of seven hotels, of which the 577 room Fanar Hotel & Residences, the 422 room Salalah Rotana Resort, the 87 room Juweira Boutique Hotel and the 19-beachfront hut, Souly Lodge are operational; totalling the available luxury hotel rooms to 1,100. The destination is home to Oman’s first aqua park, the Hawana Aqua Park, a 170-berth marina, freehold residences, which are available to own or rent, and retail venues, restaurants and cafes.

Jebel Sifah, located 40 minutes from the capital city of Muscat, is spread over 6.2 million sqm and is designed to include five world-class hotels, of which the 67-room Sifawy Boutique Hotel is operational. It also houses freehold residences, which are available to own or rent, an 84-berth marina, and a wide range of dining and leisure facilities, and the 9-hole PGA Harradine signature golf course that is managed by Troon International, Muscat’s first course offering spectacular sea and mountain views to golfers.

For press inquiries and images, please contact:
Sudipta Dasgupta
TRACCS Public Relations
Telephone: +968 94558787
Fax: +968 24 649-088
Email: Sudipta.Dasgupta@traccs.net  

© Press Release 2019