Muscat: The routes of Muscat Metro, first-ever mass transit network across the capital city of the Sultanate of Oman to provide world-class urban transport, have been finalised and a study to construct Bausher-Al Amerat tunnel is under consideration, said a top official of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MoHUP) in Muscat on Monday.
Both are part of the master plan for Greater Muscat, which is an integrated spatial and developmental plan to accommodate population growth, attract investments, enhance the economy, develop the system of transport and communication within an integrated and multi-modal transportation network.
Speaking at a workshop on Greater Muscat master plan organised by MoHUP, Ibrahim bin Hamoud al Waeli, Executive Director of the Urban Strategy at MoHUP, said that the master plan for Greater Muscat has reached the final stages of preparation and design.
The master plan will enter implementation stages early next year, after approval from the competent authorities, he said.
Al Waeli referred to the multiple themes of the master plan. He said that the first theme deals with systematic urban expansion, the theme of greenery and landscaping expansion, protection dams and means of addressing climatic conditions.
Speaking about Muscat Metro, Al Waeli pointed out that the project’s routes have been determined, based on a set of main objectives: reducing the volume of compensations to be offered, ease of access and the availability of main stations in strategic areas in Muscat. This is in addition to expansion beyond the metro course, notably via express buses and other means of transport to and from the metro, he added.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MoTCIT) had invited qualified international consultants to bid for its contract to provide advisory services linked to the landmark project.
Al Waeli said that another project known as Bausher-Al Amerat tunnel is under study by the departments concerned, including Muscat Municipality and the Ministry of Finance.
The master plan also helps upgrade the quality of services and bolster the infrastructure, while at the same time preserving the environment and protecting its unique components.
Population density and jobs constitute one of the major aspects of the master plan, which focuses on the distribution of human activity in a manner that integrates with the public transport network’s plan.
The master plan also aims to provide urban and economic requirements, bearing in mind the development of projects in urban boundaries to ensure the availability of basic services.
As for the land uses linked to the economic sector, the master plan will lend support to the idea of ‘economic blocs’. These include the bloc of innovation and knowledge, represented by Knowledge Oasis Muscat, the Sultan Qaboos University and Al Rusayl.
Another segment related to land use in the economic sector is seen in the ‘industrial and logistic sectors bloc’, namely in the areas of Khazaen, Ruwi, Al Misfah and Al Rusayl.
The ‘tourism and economy bloc’ will be represented in the master plan by the areas of Muscat, Muttrah, Al Khoudh, the Airport zone and the sector of food industries in Barka.
The master plan explored options to converting valley beds or Wadis into public places, while at the same time developing them in tandem with nature. Emphasis will be laid on four valleys out of 12 in the area.
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