Muscat – The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) has initiated a plan to develop Musannah Castle with the participation of private players to boost tourism in the area.
‘The ministry is looking to partner with private sector entities for managing and developing the castle for which a tender has been floated,’ MHT informed through a statement.
The Musannah Castle was built to protect the wilayat of Musannah and its inhabitants, which eventually became a major tourist attraction in South Batinah governorate.
The ministry confirmed that the competing companies must submit a study that should include a proposal on how to market the fort commercially and culturally – holding cultural workshops, organising events, and introducing various activities to revive the castle.
‘Competing companies must highlight the architectural uniqueness of the fort and involve the local community in various cultural and social events.’
Spread over 22sqm with its walls standing 15m to 18m in height, the three-storyed castle consists of a number of corridors and rooms, and cannons. It also has a basement and secret tunnels that were used to maintain necessary supplies during the time of any siege.
Following the government’s continuous efforts to develop the tourism sector,the historical sites in Oman recorded a significant increase in the numbers of visitors – 22,259 in 2020 compared to 7,064 in 2016 – registering a growth of 315 per cent, according to the National
Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
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