Muscat – The Environment Authority on Monday revealed receiving multiple proposals from foreign institutions expressing their interest to invest in the sultanate’s two prominent nature reserves.

On the sidelines of the ‘Oman Conference on Environmental Sustainability’, Dr Abdullah bin Ali al Omari, chairman of EA, said that the authority received multiple requests from local and foreign institutions to invest in the Starlight Reserve in Al Hajar al Gharbi in Dakhliyah governorate, and the Rustaq Wildlife Nature Reserve in South Batinah.

“The authority has formed a committee to discuss these offers and choose the best among them,” he informed.

“Oman has 26 nature reserves, through which we aim to preserve our biological diversity and promote the sultanate in the world of ecotourism,” the EA chief further said.

Nature reserves in Oman are a major tourist attraction, offering scenic nature, camping and diving facilities to enjoy coral reefs and other underwater treasures.

Spread over an estimated 387sqkm and featuring natural elements, the Starlight Reserve in Al Hajar al Gharbi was set up through a Royal Decree issued in May 2019 for stargazing, as all types of light and illumination are banned in the designated area of the reserve.

The Rustaq reserve is a mountain range 2,000m above the sea level – extending from Wadi Bani Kharus in the east to Wadi al-Sahtan in the west.