NIZWA, NOV 29
The office of Al Dakhiliyah Governor held a meeting recently to discuss tourism prospects, heritage protection and the plans of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism to advance them in the governorate.
The meeting, held at the Nizwa Cultural Centre, was hosted by Eng Ibrahim bin Said al Kharousi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Heritage, and Maithaa bint Saif al Mahrouqiyah, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Tourism. Shaikh Hilal bin Said al Hajri, Governor of Al Dakhiliyah, representatives of the governorate in Majlis Ash’shura, members of the Municipal Council, businessmen and young entrepreneurs participated.
Maithaa bint Saif al Mahrouqiyah, in her speech, reviewed the priorities of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism in achieving the goals to ensure the upgrading of all heritage and tourism components in various governorates, including Al Dakhiliyah, due to its tourism potential, historical and cultural heritage.
She pointed out the importance of joint work to achieve growth in the tourism sector, which will positively contribute to the gross domestic product. This will also help in achieving the desired economic benefit and meeting the aspirations of the people of Al Dakhiliyah Governorate in particular and the people of the country in general.
In order to achieve this goal, she said, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has prepared an action plan that included plans for tourism development for a number of governorates. This has been approved by the Council of Ministers. The plans were prepared by international experts with community participation and in cooperation with the relevant authorities, most notably the Supreme Council for Planning which is concerned with the national urban strategy, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, and in partnership with a specialised technical team from the ministry. Field visits were conducted to ensure that the output is realistic, feasible, compatible with the nature of the governorate and meets its needs.
Eng Ibrahim bin Said al Kharousi explained the efforts of the ministry in refurbishing the tourist and heritage sites. He pointed out that 5,254 archaeological places were documented in the Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah out of a total of 29,857 archaeological places registered in the Sultanate of Oman. He also dealt with investment opportunities in heritage sites. As many heritage monuments have been rehabilitated in the governorate, including Nizwa Castle.
Mohammad bin Mahmoud al Zadjali, Director General of Planning at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, dealt with statistics on the tourism situation in the governorate and the licensed tourism activities. He pointed out that there are 72 facilities ranging from hotels, green inns, hotel apartments, rest houses and tourist camps. He also indicated that there are 29 hotel facilities currently under construction.
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