Initial work on Stage One of the Ras Al Hadd tourism project in Oman will begin soon through a joint venture between the sultanate’s government, represented by Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran) and Al Diar Real Estate Investment Company of Qatar.

The project, which will stretch over 1.8 million sq m, is part of a strategy to develop the tourism sector, according to the Oman News Agency.

Darwish bin Ismaeel Al Balushi, Minister Responsible for Financial Affairs and deputy chairman of Omran, said that the first stage of the multi-phase project, which will cost RO250 million ($647.8 million), will be initiated during the first quarter of this year.

Being developed in four phases, Phase One includes establishment of a 100-room eco-themed resort, 50 hotel villas, 150 residential villas and a 7,000-sq-m souq. This phase is targeted for completion by the end of 2018, the report said.

Phase Two will add 100 new five-star hotel rooms to the resort, as well as an additional 196 residential villas, and a dedicated centre for wildlife preservation and an observation park set over a 10,000-sq-m area.

The third phase will see the construction of a separate 200-room five-star resort, an additional 50 hotel villas and 179 residential villas, as well as the development of a new market area covering 16,000 sq m, and the construction of a specialised marine life park, it said.

The final phase will see the opening of a 150-room five-star hotel, 50 hotel villas, 175 new residential villas, as well as the construction of a dedicated heritage village, and staff accommodation for 836 employees.

Meanwhile, Omran Hotels and Resorts, part of Omran, and leading Omani developer Musstir, have announced that a new Anantara hotel will open in the sultanate’s Dhofar region this summer.

Anantara Salalah – Al Baleed Resort, located between a natural lagoon and the beach, will be managed by Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas and will feature 136 guest rooms and studios as well as one-, two- and three-bedroom pool villas.