To provide viable business opportunities for innovative Omani projects, Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN) has called for applications from small and medium businesses interested to establish retail outlets at the ‘Bazaar Al Mina’, a modern business incubator in the upcoming Mina Sultan Qaboos Waterfront Development.
Bazaar Al Mina will include permanent retails spaces and a weekly day and night weekend pop up food market with “street food”. An array of street food served in an authentic market environment, with over 40 vendors housed in the Bazaar Al Mina building, a society of makers.
Fahad Al Hinai, Senior Development Manager at Oman comments “Although Design in Oman is relatively a young industry, it has witnessed an accelerated growth over the past few years. Our vision is to create a platforms or conduits to make the design industry feel cohesive. That vision carries through to this space. We want to bring people together and make them feel supported through the process of what we see as an elevation to the next level of commercial viability.”
“The objective of ‘Bazaar Al Mina’ is to invest-in and accelerate high potential local start-ups and businesses with innovative and creative ideas to sustainably grow their business in the long term, by providing them with an opportunity to pitch their interesting ideas in a wide area of verticals including catering, retail, fashion, accessories, entertainment, decorative arts, craft, textiles, design, furniture, jewelry, gifts, organic products and many others to secure their retail spaces and engage directly with the visitors of the Mina Sultan Qaboos Waterfront,” added Al Hinai “Bazaar Al Mina is an opportunity to discover the innovative ideas that will help to boost the tourism sector by creating new experiences and values for consumers. We are looking for high-potential, high-growth ideas that will provide great services. Innovation and creativity are the main criteria. We are keen to see the start of the activities of ‘Bazaar Al Mina’ when it opens its doors to the visitors by November 2016.” Al Hinai concluded.
The watershed at the Bazaar Al Mina, which will be spread across 3,300 square metres, will celebrate local creativity. The applications will be shortlisted based on creativity and innovation of the products and services that will cater to a vast array of consumers at Mina Sultan Qaboos Waterfront including locals, residents, tourists as well as the visitors arriving through major international cruise liners.
Applicants are required to send a maximum of three-page proposal along with images of the proposed products/services to bazaar.almina@gmail.com, latest by April 7th, 2016.
Mina Sultan Qaboos Waterfront, one of Omran’s flagship projects, spans 451,000 square metres and will transform Port Sultan Qaboos into a major tourism-based authentic waterfront destination in heart of Muscat that will attract both tourists and residents.
The first phase of the waterfront will be delivered in time for the upcoming global events in the region such as Expo 2020 and the FIFA 2022 World Cup. It will consist of various hospitality, lifestyle, and entertainment, cultural zones as well as residential units that will redefine the experience of Muscat and provide investors with a significant opportunity to participate in a unique and unparalleled marketplace offering.