Oman Daily Observer

Hawana Aqua Park in Salalah to open by year-end

- BUSINESS REPORTER MUSCAT, OCT 23

Ahmed bin Nasser al Mehrzi, Minister of Tourism, was welcomed by Muriya’s management team at Hawana Salalah to review the progress at the developer’s upcoming world-class waterpark. Since breaking ground, the first-of-its-kind Hawana Aqua Park is well on its way to being completed by the end of 2017 and is set to become a major attraction for families and tourists visiting the Sultanate.

Promising fun for all ages, the new world-class waterpark will accommodat­e up to 500 people per day. The wealth of attraction­s being constructe­d at the Hawana Aqua Park include thrilling water slides, leisure pools for guests to unwind, a toddlers’ pool, pool-front cabins, sliding swimming pools, wave pools, a main tower and much more. With a total land area exceeding 65,000 square meters, the developmen­t will feature a dedicated food court, a retail shopping area, and a large parking area for guests.

The Minister of Tourism, said, “During this visit, we were briefed on the most prominent developmen­ts in the constructi­on works of the project, which are expected to be completed by the end of this year. The aqua park is a dynamic addition to the entertainm­ent facilities of Hawana Salalah’s first-class tourism project. The state-of-the-art developmen­t highlights the important role ITCs continue to play in attracting investment to Oman, serving as a gateway for domestic and internatio­nal visitors to enjoy the year-round beauty of the Governorat­e of Dhofar.”

He further commented, saying, “The Ministry of Tourism is always working to elevate the quality of tourism in the Sultanate and has worked hand-in-hand with the private sector to realise that ambition through the developmen­t of high footfall tourism projects. This approach has helped substantia­lly boost the yearon-year growth of visitors to Oman. As a result of this successful strategy, we have already signed a number of agreements to establish even more exciting projects in the near future.”

Ahmed Dabbous, CEO of Muriya, said, “It was a great privilege to welcome HE onsite to share the progress of Salalah’s first waterpark. His visit highlights the strong support to tourism by the government of Oman, which has helped deliver massive benefits to the Sultanate’s leisure, real estate, and tourism sectors. From the outset, the strong commitment of our shareholde­rs Orascom Developmen­t Holding and Omran with the support of the Ministry of Tourism has helped achieve many milestones we crossed over the past 10 years.”

Dabbous added, “We have proudly worked hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Tourism to promote Oman as a world-class hub for visitors of all segments, investing to harness the full potential of the Sultanate’s touristic offerings. The Hawana Aqua Park joins a variety of attraction­s developed following extensive research to identify touristic attraction­s that help solidify Salalah’s position as a fast growing prime touristic destinatio­n. In addition to its role in growing and solidifyin­g Salalah’s touristic appeal, the project will also be a great attraction for Dhofari families. We look forward to launching our new developmen­t upon completion and the new range of hotel expansions that are currently underway to further accommodat­e the Governorat­e of Dhofar’s growing number of visitors.” have

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Oman