MUSCAT, 20 February 2004 — In an effort to boost tourism, the Omani government yesterday launched an ambitious 310 million rial ($805 million) resort project, stretching along 7.3 km of beach front just west of Muscat and occupying in all two million sq. m. of existing land and 400,000 sq. m. of reclaimed land.
Unveiling what he called “a dream project,” named The Wave, Commerce and Industry Minister Maqbool ibn Ali Sultan said: “The vision is to create a premium integrated tourism and residential resort... unspoiled by commercial excesses.” He said what started as a simple idea has now crystallized into a well-studied investment venture.
Abdullah ibn Abbas ibn Ahmad, president of Muscat Municipality and chairman of the newly-formed Oman Tourism Development Company (OTDC), said the project was “in keeping with Oman’s seafaring history and close association with the ocean.”
