Muscat – Built with an investment of RO60mn and spread across an area of 32,000sqm, Jumeirah Muscat Bay was officially opened on Sunday.

The five-star beach resort with 206 rooms, three swimming pools, a kids club, spas and sports facilities, was inaugurated under the patronage of H E Salim bin Mohammad al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism. The inauguration was attended by key government officials and senior delegates from the sector.

Sheikh Hamood bin Sultan al Hosni, CEO of Muscat Bay, the company that owns Jumeriah Muscat Bay hotel, said, “I would like to thank our Board for their continuing leadership and assistance, as well as the Ministry of Heritage & Tourism and Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning for their consistent support to develop and flourish Oman’s tourism sector which, in recent years, has grown by leaps and bounds.

“It is during this exciting time that we open the doors of Jumeirah Muscat Bay resort which plays a key role towards Muscat Bay’s journey and the tourism sector, in general. It is certainly another milestone for the tourism sector. The hotel will provide exceptional concepts, service and experiences to visitors and residents. Through launching this resort, together we aim to attract a growing number of global visitors and investors who can consider Oman as a luxury tourism destination.”

Located within the general plan of Muscat Bay’s fully integrated resort, this project resonates with the strategic partnership between Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran Group) and Saraya Oman Holding Company. It is considered Jumeirah group’s first luxury resort in the sultanate. Set between the Al Hajar mountains and the sparkling Arabian Sea nestled within the secluded Bandar al Jissah beach, the resort is located 15 minutes from Muscat.

HE Salim Bin Mohammad al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, Oman, said, “The opening of Jumeirah Muscat Bay is a culmination of the efforts exerted by all stakeholders to enhance the tourism sector with various products that delivers unique aesthetics of this scenic area, which contributes to developing and growing the industry, boosting the efficiency of the tourism sector in line with the National Tourism Strategy, and enhancing its role in achieving the goals of economic diversification.”

H E Mahrouqi also indicated his aspiration to positively complete the phases in order to achieve an integrated model for numerous projects that have been mutually agreed to from years and hasn’t been implemented.

Thomas B Meier, Chief Operating Officer and Interim CEO of Jumeirah Group added, “Jumeirah Muscat Bay is a resort that captures the very best of Oman’s distinctive heritage and natural beauty, and its recent accolade of ‘The World’s Leading New Resort’ at the World Travel Awards this year reflects the uniqueness of our resort experience. We have an exceptional team here with a strong representation from Oman itself, so guests staying with us can expect a truly authentic experience, with real Omani hospitality combined with ‘Jumeriah’ brand standards.”

The second phase, which Muscat Bay intends to start developing next year, will contain modern tourist and residential facilities that are compatible with the requirements of the current phase. It will be spread over an area of 150,000sqm and a total building area estimated at 100,000sqm. The total cost is expected to be around RO65mn.