The South Sharqiyah Governorate is proceeding with the implementation of a package of waterfront projects, representing one of the most prominent development investments in the governorate during 2026.
The development come within the framework of administrative and financial decentralization and the transformation of governorates into economic hubs capable of leveraging their competitive advantages.
According to the South Sharqiyah Governorate office, Al Ashkarah Beach waterfront project in Jaalan Bani Bu Ali is among the projects that have reached 76% completion. Its estimated cost is approximately RO 5.8 million, and it is being built on an area of 74,172 square meters, including a building area of 4,140 square meters. The project includes a 1,860-meter main promenade, 1,800 meters of walking, jogging, and cycling paths, as well as investment areas for restaurants and cafes, green spaces, and public services. These features will benefit residents and visitors and open up broad prospects for tourism and service investments in Jaalan Bani Bu Ali and the surrounding areas.
The South Sharqiyah Governorate indicated that it is simultaneously working on other waterfront projects, including the Sur Waterfront Trail project, which has reached 28% completion. Funded by Oman LNG, this project will provide indoor and outdoor sports facilities, including padel courts, a health promenade, and a 1,865-meter-long cycling track, in addition to children's play areas and public seating areas.
The project will also contribute to supporting economic activity and stimulating local investment by attracting a number of restaurants, cafes, and kiosks, thus providing promising investment opportunities and boosting tourism and economic activity in the region.
The South Sharqiyah Governorate added that it is also developing other coastal areas, including the Asilah Waterfront, where the first phase has been completed, and the second phase, which is 55 per cent complete. The Al Hadda Waterfront has also been completed. These developments are part of a comprehensive program aimed at transforming the coastline into an integrated economic and tourism destination capable of attracting local and foreign investment.
The accelerated implementation of waterfront projects in South Sharqiyah confirms that spatial development has become a key pillar of economic policy in the Sultanate of Oman. These projects are no longer merely recreational facilities but have transformed into strategic investments aimed at building a more diversified local economy, attracting capital, and enhancing the competitiveness of the governorates within a development model based on decentralization and sustainability.
The importance of these projects is highlighted in the context of implementing the decentralization approach, whereby governorates now possess broader powers to determine their development priorities and manage their investments according to their comparative advantages. The waterfronts in South Sharqiyah exemplify this approach by utilizing the governorate's natural resources to create sustainable economic assets that contribute to raising the quality of life and enhancing spatial competitiveness.
Economic indicators show that the development of waterfronts is one of the main drivers of the local economy, due to the multiplier effect it creates that extends to multiple sectors, including construction, retail, transportation, and logistics, in addition to small and medium enterprises, which are the biggest beneficiaries of investment opportunities related to new commercial and tourist facilities.
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