Muscat: As the Sultanate celebrates its 50th National Day of Renaissance, the year 2020 also marks a special milestone for OMRAN Group, as the company commemorates its 15th anniversary.

During the commemoration of its 15 years of progress, the Group renews its pledge to the nation to continue its mandate towards creating sustainable and authentic tourism assets, lifestyle communities, and destinations that drive economic growth; and contribute to economic diversification in line with Oman’s Vision 2040 and the National Tourism Strategy.

Deemed as the Sultanate’s leading executive arm for tourism development, the Group proudly recalls the milestones achieved over the years and its strategic role in shaping the country’s tourism sector.

The Group was established by the Omani government in 2005 to unlock the potential of the tourism industry. According to the Royal Decree No. 61/2020, OMRAN Group became one of the government companies under the umbrella of Oman Investment Authority (OIA).

As a part of OMRAN’s affiliation to OIA, the Group will continue working to support OIA’s goals to align the policies with Oman Vision 2040, which focuses on developing sources of economic diversification, enhancing non-oil revenues’ contribution to national GDP, and attracting foreign direct investment to the Sultanate.

OMRAN works closely with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Government entities, and stakeholders to identify priorities, projects and opportunities that will maximise the potential of the Sultanate’s tourism sector.

The strategy has identified the tourism sector as a crucial economic diversifier and accelerator.

OMRAN Group’s Operating Framework is driven by four key pillars: Tourism, Master Development, Hospitality, and Development Partnerships.

The Group is the key instigator for master developments in Oman that transforms tourism-oriented government plots into purposeful infrastructure that meet the demand for multi-use destinations and facilities, which contribute to the national economic growth.

Few of OMRAN’s prominent master developments include the Sultanate’s largest urban project – Madinat Al Irfan, Oman Convention and Exhibition Center (OCEC), Mina Sultan Qaboos Waterfront, and Muscat InterContinental Urban Re-Development.

OMRAN also owns and oversees the management of a growing portfolio of hospitality properties across Oman, with 24 hotels and resorts encompassing over 3,800 hotel rooms ranging from luxury retreats, eco-reserves, and large-scale beach resorts to convention and city center business hotels and eco-tourism and heritage destinations.

These include the Millennium Resort Musannah, Alila Jabal Akhdar Resort and Atana Musandam, Atana Khasab, Crowne Plaza Duqm, City Hotel Duqm, Crowne Plaza OCEC, W Muscat, JW Marriot Muscat, Dibba Beach Resort and other hospitality assets in the country. The OMRAN Destinations also include, Al Hoota Cave, Nizwa Fort, Harat Al Bilad, and Majlis Al Jinn Cave.

The Group also carries out a set of main tasks through which the Group’s role is to create a rich environment for the tourism sector across various aspects. These tasks cover a range of activities that include the development and asset management of distinctive hotels and resorts; entering development partnerships with local and foreign developers and investors to create new tourism and mixed-use master-planned communities; managing heritage, cultural and outdoor activity sites and experiences; developing and managing strategic tourism and business infrastructures, such as the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, which participates in the regional MICE industry; promoting Oman as a destination through hosting international sporting events and emphasising on Oman’s maritime heritage by competing in international Sailing events; preparing Omani’s for a career in tourism through training and educational programs at the Oman Tourism College.

Making headway as a catalyst for investment, one of OMRAN’s core objectives is to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the tourism sector to advance the social and economic growth of the Sultanate.

To date, the Group has attracted RO186 Million as investments in Oman. This has been achieved through a number of avenues, most noticeably through strategic development partnership agreements with renowned regional and global developers.

OMRAN’s portfolio vaunts several dominant projects and assets that are situated in various strategic locations and tourism clusters across the Sultanate. The Group has entered strategic partnerships with leading real estate developers in the region to develop state-of-the-art Integrated Tourism Complexes (ITCs) across the Sultanate; namely, Madinat Al Irfan (West), Al Mouj Muscat with Majid Al Futtaim, Muscat Bay with Eagle Hills, Ras Al Hadd with Qatari Diar, Jebel Sifah and Hawana Salalah with Orascom Development Holding.

As part of its expanding portfolio, a number of tourism assets and companies have been transferred to OMRAN Group from the government, including the Oman Tourism College, which is concerned with qualifying young cadres in the tourism sector and providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the growing requirements of this vital sector.

It also includes Oman Sail, which aims to revive the glories of the Omani maritime heritage and promote the Sultanate around the world through the sport of sailing; the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre; the Sultanate’s prestigious venue for local regional and global events; and Marina Bandar Al Rowdha, which is a premium destination for tourists and visitors who wish to explore the unique coastline of Oman and its marine tourism adventures.