Muscat: With the Ghala area being planned as the new hub and the revamped Central Business District (CBD) under the works along with a metro rail link between A’Seeb and Ruwi, Oman is planning on ensuring a strong facelift in the urban department, built on the strong foundations that exist.

As a part of the ‘Oman National Spatial Strategy (ONSS), which is the National Framework for guiding Oman’s spatial development sustainably for the next 20 years, initiatives are being planned by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, divided into multiple phases by the government to realise a sustainable and ambitious conclusion to this initiative, in close adherence to ‘Vision 2040’.

A key initiative highlighted by ONSS includes the implementation of a commuter rail line to transport passengers between Al Seeb and Suhar and a light metro linking Ruwi and Seeb, for the Muscat Governorate. Plans for the establishment of ‘Greater Muscat’ is based on a diversified economic base. As per the initiative, Barka will be incorporated into the Greater Muscat area. Economic prosperity will revolve around finance, knowledge and innovation-based economy, including logistics and tourism sectors.

The introduction of the Greater Cities concept within the National Spatial Strategy is in response to the important functional roles that economic gateways and national centres will play as the main drivers of growth, given the greater attractiveness of such cities and the significant populations that they will be housing.