Football fever grips Oman

MUSCAT, JUNE 10
With the Fifa World Cup is to begin on Thursday, Oman’s major cities are gripped by the football fever and hotels are rolling out dedicated fan spaces with giant screens, themed F&B, and matchday activations to capture World Cup traffic without hosting the matches directly.
From cosy halls of star hotels to downtown coffee shops and from satellite dish service centres to multinational cafe’s, elaborate arrangements are underway to share the football fever and join the vibe for the fans of 48 teams which are divided into 12 groups over the next 9 days.
Hoteliers are converting terraces, ballrooms and restaurants into 'Fan Zones' modelled on setups used during Qatar 2022, large LED screens, stadium-style seating, beanbags and tables, plus live entertainment and raffles between matches to keep guests at the centre of the action.
“We are all set to welcome out guests as the brand belief of Sheraton is bringing people together and making efforts are on to make the tournament a natural fit for the hotel. From friends gathering to watch their favourite teams to families and colleagues sharing memorable matchday moments, the Football Fan Zone has been designed as a destination where fans can connect over the excitement of the beautiful game,” said Rejin Thomas, General Manager of Sheraton Oman Hotel.
“World Cup is the world’s biggest gathering of fans, and bringing people together is at the core of everything we do at Sheraton. The Football Fan Zone at Hive Lounge has been created to give guests a place to connect, celebrate and enjoy every moment of the tournament in a vibrant atmosphere. Whether it’s gathering with friends for a match, enjoying our exclusive offers, or extending the experience with an overnight stay, we look forward to creating memorable moments for football fans across Muscat,” he adds.
During Qatar 2022, Oman has already tested the concept at scale. The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MoHT) operated a 9,000 sqm 'Football Fan Festival' at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) with giant screens for all 64 matches, plus activity zones and food courts for families. Ooredoo also ran free fan zones in Muscat, Suhar, Salalah, Sur and Ibri with big screens.
“We are all set to welcome our guests to the live soccer experience with a 80-inch TV and refreshments and the matches would run into midnights,” Thomas, manager of a large coffee shop in CBD area said.
Additionally, there are ‘family zones’ and ‘activity areas’ and entertainment so that non-football fans have space too, replicating Oman’s 2022 festival model.
BRISK BUSINESS
While hoteliers say bookings have been very positive and thriving, dish antenna connectors admit that demand for dish antennas that received the sports broadcast live has been really promising.
With tourism targeted to hit 5 per cent of GDP by 2030, Oman hotels are treating World Cup 2026 as a showcase for upgraded facilities and regional gateway traffic, even if the matches are played elsewhere.