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MHT invites bids to develop Barka Castle

22 Jan 2023 By OUR CORRESPONDENT

Muscat – The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) has floated a tender for the management and development of Barka Castle in South Batinah as part of its efforts to attract tourists and revitalise the economic activities in governorates.

Barka Castle is one of the most popular tourist attractions in South Batinah.

Located between fish and vegetable markets, the castle was built in the middle of the 17th century in two phases. The first phase was built during the reign of Saif bin Sultan al Yaraibi and was completed during the reign of Hamad bin Saeed al Busaidi.

‘The ministry is looking to partner with private sector groups for managing and developing the castle,’ MHT said in a statement.

The ministry confirmed that the competing companies must submit a study that should include ways to market the castle commercially and culturally, ideas on cultural workshops, organising artistic and cultural events, and plans for 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.

The deadline for the submission of bids is March 23.

Following the government’s continuous efforts to develop the tourism sector, 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.

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