Revitalising city parks

Though surrounded by mountains, water, and deserts, capital Muscat is known for its fine public parks in and around the city, which are often visited by more than half of the city population.

While parks are developed as part of the government’s obligation towards society, they also financially drain the exchequer, making its commercial exploitation an absolute necessity.

The Al Sahwa Park in Al Mawaleh is one of the finest parks in the city and the country. According to frequent visitors, the park is undoubtedly well-designed and well-maintained. Still, it should be allowed to be privately managed so that facilities can be upgraded to the highest levels without costing a penny to the authorities.

“Right now, we have a couple of coffee shops, which are essentially important for the visitors. But I suggest they add more recreational facilities and food and beverage (F&B) outlets that can benefit the visitors and bring in more revenues to the local authorities and businesses to the youth,” said R. Gray, who resides at Al Mouj.

He added, “I agree people expect the government to provide most services at no cost to them, but things have changed and people are ready to open their wallets for some extra benefits.

Maintaining such parks is expensive and needs a team of manpower, so the government should suddenly follow examples of similarly commercially exploited parks in other cities of the world and region.

Another landmark park in the city is Al Qurm Park, which has a few commercial outlets, but still a lot can be done, especially the huge lake in the central part of the park, which can be used for light and sound shows that were successfully organised during the last season’s Muscat Nights festival.

“It may not be feasible to organise such events daily, but certainly, the authorities can plan a few events during the weekends of winter and tourism seasons. Tourists who visit the Sultanate of Oman certainly need leisure activities, and Qurum Park is an ideal destination. The lake is currently a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and we can also find a solution to that issue,” Salem, a regular visitor with families. “The Muttrah Waterfront is another area that can be developed for busy evening programmes, as Kalbouh Park is virtually abandoned,” views that were echoed by many foreign tourists who visit the place.