Muscat – The Environment Authority (EA) is offering four sites for investments in a wetland reserve in the wilayat of Mahout, Al Wusta, with the objective of attracting tourists and supporting eco-tourism projects.

The wetland reserve in Mahout was set up via Royal Decree No 51/2014. It ranks among the top 25 sites in the Middle East for migratory birds, spread over an area of 2,621sqkm.

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

An EA official said, “As part of its efforts to support the national economy and benefit from nature reserves, the authority has offered a tender for investments in four sites in the wetland reserve in Mahout.”

The four sites offered for investments are Rak, Filam, Mahout Island and Kanasah White Island. The authority has called on those interested in investing to submit an action plan for the development of these sites.

The investor’s plan must comply with the rules of the Environment Authority and the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. The plan must include details of how the project will be managed, how visitors will be attracted to the four sites, and credential documents of the investor.

“The authority has trained specialists to protect the natural environment in the wilayats of Al Wusta governorate. The teams aim to protect and preserve the environment, besides creating a fence to combat desertification in the wilayat of Haima,” the EA official said.

Al Wusta has a wide variety of attractions for nature tourism, including coral reefs, nesting and feeding sites of sea turtles, and breeding habitat of other marine mammals, including the rare and endangered Arabian humpback whales, the official informed.