Muscat – The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) has initiated a plan to develop the Al Hazm Castle in its efforts to stimulate tourism in the wilayat of Rustaq. The ministry is looking to partner with the private sector for managing and developing the castle.

The ministry said that Al Hazm Castle is one of the most magnificent castles in Oman and was built in 1708, towards the end of the reign of Al Yarubi tribe when they made Rustaq their capital. It is about 160km away from Muscat and has found a place on Unesco’s tentative list for inclusion as a World Heritage Site.

An MHT official said, “As part of our efforts to support the national economy and benefit from the presence of historical structures in the country, the ministry has floated a tender for management and development of Al Hazm Castle.”

The ministry confirmed that the competing companies must submit a study that includes marketing the castle commercially and culturally, holding cultural workshops, organising artistic and cultural events, and introducing various activities to revive the castle. Competing companies must highlight the architectural uniqueness of the castle and involve the local community in various cultural and social events.

Al Hazm Castle was designed primarily for defence and security purposes and features delicate artistic architectural elements. The most important feature of the main building of the castle is its intricate Indian wooden door. The castle also has a prison, mosque and a religious classroom. There a falaj that runs underneath the castle which provides water to many date trees and other agricultural treasures in the area. Al Hazm Castle stands as a solid reminder of Oman’s proud history and enduring heritage.

There were 366,360 visitors to castles and forts in Oman in 2018. In 2020, 133,464 people visited castles and forts compared to 426,525 in 2019, a decrease of 68.6 per cent.

The ministry is currently working to establish numerous projects to attract tourists to achieve the strategic goals of Oman Vision 2040.