Oman government approves 54 more hotels

The Oman Ministry of Tourism has approved the building of 54 more hotel facilities, which will add 2908 more rooms to the Sultanate.

The majority of the new hotels will be one- and two-star facilities, while 14 of them will be in the capital Muscat. The Ministry has also approved 74 hotel apartments.

When completed, they will add to the existing 282 accommodation facilities in Oman, with the Ministry’s latest Annual Report showing that 24 new hotels were added in 2013, representing growth of 9.3%.

The number of hotel rooms grew by 12.3% last year to 22,521, while the number of tourists visiting the country grew by 7.8% to 2.1 million.

At the end of 2013, there were 12 five-star hotels, 21 four-star hotels, 24 three-star hotels, 33 two-star hotels and 53 one-star hotels, in addition to 95 hotel apartments, 28 rest-hotels and 16 camping sites.

Among the newly-approved facilities:

- 14 hotel facilities with 1,205 rooms were approved in Muscat, including a five-star hotel, 6 three-star hotels, 5 two-star hotels and 2 one-star hotels

- In the Dhofar Governorate, 2 hotel facilities will be established as approved by the ministry. With a two-star and one-star ranking, both facilities are poised to offer a total of 74 hotel rooms.

- In North A'Sharqiyah Governorate, 3 hotels will be built offering a total of 77 one-star hotel rooms, while South A'Sharqiyah will see the establishment of 2 one-star hotels with 58 rooms.

- In Al-Wusta Governorate, a total of 8 new hotel facilities will be established, offering 145 hotel rooms.

- Three new hotels, have also been approved to be established in the Al Batinah South Governorate.

- In the Al-Dakhiliyah Governorate, the Ministry approved the establishment of five new facilities with 255 rooms.

- In the Al Buraimi Governorate, 2 hotels will be established while another hotel will be developed in Musandam offering 50 rooms.