Property pedigree
If taking on two of the biggest hospitality developments that Oman has ever seen seems slightly ambitious for a company that has only existed for seven years, bear in mind that Orascom Development, from which Muriya was born, has a history of managing similar projects around the world. The company’s flagship El Gouna development in Egypt currently has 18 hotels with a grand total of 2879 rooms.
“When we began our flagship El Gouna project, we had a master plan very similar to the one we are following now, where the plan was to open six hotels within a mixed-use development.
Today at El Gouna there are 18 hotels, 17 of which are controlled by the group. When you have such huge plots of land, as we do in Oman, there is always room to expand in the future and add new ideas if we need to,” explains Hefzallah.
Advertisement |
This confidence in the project from the developer is matched only by the commitment shown to it by the Omani government that, through its Omran investment arm, has taken a 30% share in Muriya Tourism Development. A partnership that according to Hefzallah had been in discussion “a long time before an agreement was reached in 2006.”
“This is a partnership that will benefit both parties. The government of Oman doesn’t yet have the expertise to run such a big project. However, when you come to a new country where there is no track record of tourism projects such as these, working in partnership with the government gives everyone a sense of security, in particular real-estate customers and hotel groups,” concludes Hefzalla.
Jebel Sifah Beach at a Glance
Construction Started: Mid 2008
Site Area: 6.2 million m²
No. of operating hotels: One, the 55-room Sifawy
Boutique Hotel opened September 2011
No. of upcoming hotels: 5 including a Four Seasons, Missoni, Banyan Tree and Angsana
TOTAL HOTEL ROOMS 1000
Facilities: 96-berth marina and 18-hole golf course
Salalah Beach at a Glance
Date launched: Mid 2008
Site Area: 15.6 million m²
No. of operating hotels: One, the 65-room Juweira Boutique Hotel opened in Q1 2012.
No. of upcoming hotels: Six, including the 400-room Salalah Rotana Resort & Spa due to open by end 2013, a Club Med resort and a Mövenpick hotel.
Total Hotel Rooms: 1900
Facilities: Two, 200-berth marinas and two 18-hole golf courses.