By Kabeer Yousuf — MUSCAT: March 25 - All development projects in the Sultanate aimed to bring a change to the tourism domain of the region or at enhancing the infrastructure are very much in terms with the nature, according to the Minister of Tourism. No compromise whatsoever is made and will not be made when it comes to nature and environment while launching any development projects, and the government is keen in protecting the rich biodiversity, flora and fauna of the country, the ministry affirmed. Talking to the Observer on the sidelines of the recently signed RO 385 million Qurayat ITC project announced by the Qurayat Development Company (QDC) with Ministry of Tourism on Thursday, Ahmed bin Nasser al Mehrzi, Minister of Tourism, said the rich biodiversity of the eastern coastal region is well taken into consideration while preparing the blueprints of the development.
“We take into consideration the environment, the biodiversity and the natural habitats before we initiative any development programmes. The present project of the Ministry of Tourism with the QDC will be a balanced development and it is one of the strong points for development of the Sultanate,” the minister said. Qurayat, which is a small fishing village some 83km southeast of Muscat, is characterised by a towering mountain terrain with waters flowing amidst high mountains and green patches on the sides. This wilayat is home for Oman’s oldest mosques and towers and forts along with other historical and archaeological ruins some of which date back to the prehistoric period. It is also a home for many old aflaj that date back to the pre-Islamic period.
“In this case where kilometres of beach is developed into hotels for international visitors, we have applied the same strategy and the construction is within the limits of using the coastal line, the distance between the buildings and the coastline,” he added saying that the beach will also be open for the public even after the development projects are complete. The 3-phased project the first of which, a RO 100-million worth development of 4-star hotel with 100 rooms plus 200 usable units will be delivered in five years gifting Oman’s growing hospitality sector with 300 keys.
“There is a big demand from the local populace to have developmental projects and this is one of the major projects that will help the eastern region in terms of overall growth. The development to add value to the tourism potential of the country aligns with the ministry’s efforts in developing the eastern coast of Oman and will deliver significant job opportunities for citizens of the wilayat,” the minister added.
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