Projects to enhance quality of life in Muscat

MUSCAT: The Governorate of Muscat continues to implement a package of development and investment projects across its six wilayats to develop infrastructure, elevate the quality of services, and expand economic opportunities. This aligns with the targets of Oman Vision 2040 and the governorate's vision of a 'Sustainable, Prosperous, and Vibrant Muscat.'
HH Sayyid Bilarab bin Haitham al Said, Minister of State and Governor of Muscat, said that the projects and achievements witnessed by the governorate across various sectors fall within the national efforts aimed at realising integrated and sustainable development. These efforts are based on capitalising on the economic, urban, and tourism fundamentals of the governorate, and enhancing coordination and partnership among government entities, the private sector, and the community.
HH Sayyid Bilarab clarified that the most important criterion for these efforts is their direct impact on the lives of citizens and residents. This is achieved by raising the quality of services, developing infrastructure and public facilities, and expanding economic and investment opportunities, while taking into account the developmental priorities of each wilayat to enhance the efficiency of project implementation and the sustainability of their benefits.
He affirmed the importance of continuing complementary work and optimally utilising the available capabilities, while safeguarding the governorate's civilisational identity and preserving its natural elements. The ultimate goal is achieving its vision of a 'Sustainable, Prosperous, and Vibrant Muscat,' as a framework that encompasses developmental aspirations and the specific character of the governorate.
In the realm of urban development, the governorate launched the 'Greater Muscat Structure Plan,' which rests on five goals: a Green, Resilient and Safe, Connected, Vibrant, and Productive Muscat.
Sultan Haitham City in the Wilayat of Al Seeb takes the forefront of the urban landscape, spanning an area of 14.8 million square metres with investments exceeding RO 3 billion. Construction works have begun in 7 residential neighbourhoods, and the value of awarded works has reached approximately RO 300 million, with a 65 per cent completion rate for infrastructure works.
In the Wilayat of Bausher, the completion rate of site preparation and levelling works for the first phase of Al Thuraya City, which extends over 3 million square metres, reached 90 per cent, and 25 per cent for road and infrastructure projects, alongside the launch of the 'Saraya' project. Furthermore, the implementation works for 'Hay Al Ahd' and 'Tilal Al Amerat' in the Wilayat of Al Amerat are ongoing, as well as the Downtown Al Khuwair project and the Sustainable City Yiti, which has reached a completion rate of 69.6 per cent.
ROAD NETWORK
Regarding the road network and water drainage, the dualisation project of the Al Ansab-Al Jifnain road, stretching 15 km, reached a 94 per cent completion rate. Meanwhile, the dualisation works for Al Nuzha Street, covering 8.08 km, are ongoing, along with the upgrading of Al Salam Street in Al Seeb, and the improvement of the Al Khuwair route, which has achieved a 57.14 per cent completion rate.
The total length of asphalt roads in the governorate reached approximately 6,206 km by the end of October 2026, of which 111.86 km have been paved since the beginning of the year, alongside the maintenance of more than 137,000 square metres of roads. Moreover, the completion rate of the surface water drainage channel at Al Anwar Street reached 94 per cent. Projects have also been awarded for treating water accumulations in Al Mawaleh South, designing the Al Ghubra North network, and enhancing coastal protections in Muttrah at an estimated cost of RO 3 million.
URBAN SPACES
Concerning commercial centres and urban spaces, the development of the Commercial District in Ruwi, covering an area of 360,000 square metres, reached a 40 per cent completion rate. Implementation works for Muttrah Square over an area of 7,500 square metres are ongoing, alongside the awarding of a project to develop urban spaces in Al Qurum over an area of 31,000 square metres, and preparations to develop the commercial districts in Al Mahaj and Al Qurum.
In the tourism and environmental sectors, the governorate includes 243 registered historical and archaeological landmarks, 87 of which were restored by the end of December 2025. Experimental operation of the 3-km Muttrah Cable Car has begun, and a tender was awarded for the development of the Hawiyat Najm (Bimmah Sinkhole) in the Wilayat of Qurayat over an area of 499,000 square metres. This is alongside the development of the Bausher Sands over an area of 362,000 square metres, and preparations to develop the Qurayat waterfront, Al Qurum Beach, and the nature reserve. The Oman Botanic Garden in Al Khoudh also witnessed operational preparations and the floating of tenders for managing its facilities following the issuance of Royal Decree No 44/2026 stipulating its affiliation with the Governorate of Muscat, represented by Muscat Municipality.
ECONOMIC DOMAIN
In the industrial and economic domain, the Al Rusayl Industrial City encompasses more than 340 projects and factories with investments exceeding RO 780 million, while the Knowledge Oasis Muscat attracts investments exceeding RO 276 million, alongside the Innovation Park Muscat.
Within the food security sector, fish farming projects in Qurayat and Al Seeb are prominent. These include the Blue Waters Company project with a capacity of 3,000 tonnes annually, the Morjan International Fish Company with investments of RO 3.8 million, and the Water Gate Company with investments of nearly RO 30 million and a targeted capacity reaching 10,000 tonnes annually, in addition to smart and vertical farming projects.
Regarding the empowerment of small and medium enterprises and the improvement of government services, the governorate provided organised locations for street vendors and increased the share of spending on small and medium enterprises from the total expenditure for contracts and purchases during the first half of 2026 from 64 per cent to 74 per cent. In October 2026, it also signed an agreement for the implementation of the 'Unified Municipal System' project to digitally unify municipal services. The index for ease of obtaining a service recorded an increase from 59 to 82 per cent, and external beneficiary satisfaction rose from 50-76 per cent, alongside the improvement of 33 work procedures during the first half of the year.
In the education sector, the governorate houses about 159,000 male and female students, 11,695 male and female teachers, and 730 students in technical and vocational education. The number of government schools rose to 191 in 2025, with the ongoing construction of 7 new schools in Al Seeb and Al Amerat, maintenance of 15 schools, restoration of 5 schools, and execution of additions in 10 schools.
In the health sector, the foundation stone was laid for the National Centre for Genome and Human Data 'Omani Genome' in Al Seeb at a cost exceeding RO 4.2 million, and the Central Public Health Laboratory was opened in Al Khoudh. Additionally, the appointment system in specialised clinics was generalised, evening clinics were expanded, and general medicine services were activated at the Hay Al Salam and Al Amerat Heights complexes. Round-the-clock services were also activated at the Al Khuwair North and Hay Al Jamea centres, with ongoing development of the Blood Bank in Bausher, the Royal Hospital, and Khoula Hospital. Plans are underway to establish the Al Seeb Referral Hospital, the Women and Children's Centre in Sultan Haitham City, and two dialysis units in Al Seeb and Qurayat.
On the international, community, and institutional fronts, the Wilayat of Muscat participated in the Unesco Global Network of Learning Cities in Shanghai, China, as the sole participating Arab city. The governorate implemented 54 initiatives for awareness and community service and 26 initiatives for environmental protection. It also won the 'Partnership and Cooperation' award for 2025. Furthermore, the governorate and Muscat Municipality were honoured in the safety index for applying the individual proficiency system for 2026. The Office of the Wali of Al Amerat and Muscat Municipality won the 'Best Service Delivery Outlet' award for 2025, and the governorate achieved a score of 95 per cent in the National Cybersecurity Index. - ONA