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Observer
07-07-2025
- Business
- Observer
Qalhat to get a visitor center worth RO3 million
Muscat: The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) has signed an agreement with the Development Foundation of the Oman LNG Company to finance the establishment of a visitors' center for the archaeological city of Qalhat, valued at RO3 million. Salim bin Mohammed al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, signed the financing agreement for the Qalhat Archaeological City Visitor Center project, while the agreement on behalf of the company was signed by Dr. Amer bin Nasser Al Matani, CEO of the Oman LNG Development Foundation. The Qalhat Archaeological City Visitor Center project, which will be implemented on an area of 5,000 sqm, consists of two museum exhibition halls to display the discovered archaeological artifacts. The center's facilities also include administrative offices, a gift shop, a café, an outdoor plaza for events, internal paths connecting the visitor center to the archaeological city, seating areas, outdoor canopies, and parking spaces. The historic city of Qalhat is considered one of the oldest Omani cities and ports. It was the second capital of the Kingdom of Hormuz. Its strategic location overlooking the Sea of Oman made its ancient port a magnet for trade ships, a meeting place for diverse cultures, and a hub for maritime trade with India, Yemen, and other regions of the world. It was also a center for exporting Arabian horses to India and has been described by many travelers and explorers. It is worth noting that the archaeological site of Qalhat was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018, affirming the importance of this historic city. UNESCO synopsis The Ancient City of Qalhat, which is located on the east coast of the Sultanate of Oman, includes the ancient city of Qalhat, surrounded by inner and outer walls, as well as areas beyond the ramparts where necropolises are located. The city developed as a major port on the east coast of Arabia between the 11th and 15th centuries CE, during the reign of the Hormuz princes. The Ancient City bears unique archaeological testimony to the trade links between the east coast of Arabia, East Africa, India, China, and South-East Asia. It is located on the eastern coast of the Sultanate of Oman, approximately 20 kilometers north of the city of Sur. The city was an important port on the Sea of Oman along the East Arabian Coast, which allowed for trade with the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean and hence functioned as a trade center between India and, through it, East and South East Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. Qalhat flourished in the 11th to 16th century CE under the rule of the Princes of Hormuz, who coordinated vital exports of horses, dates, incense, and pearls. Following Portuguese attacks, the Ancient city of Qalhat was abandoned in the 16th century and has since been preserved as an archaeological site. The remains and monuments on site comprehensively represent a port city of the Kingdom of Hormuz and reflect its legacy, architecture, and urban design. Qalhat exhibits the cultural and commercial interchange of values within the trading range of the Kingdom of Hormuz, which extended to India and as far as China and Southeast Asia. The archaeological site of Qalhat provides physical evidence of these interchanges, documenting the architectural features that indicate its produce, dates, Arabian horses as well as spices and pearls but also integrating the multi-cultural features of a medieval cosmopolitan city, with houses influenced by the needs of their various owners and inhabitants of foreign cultural origin. The ancient city also includes several highly representative buildings, which were referenced in narratives authored by historic travelers. The Ancient city of Qalhat, since its abandonment in the 16th century, is an archaeological site. Its architectural and urban fabric and form remain authentic, almost untouched, as does its setting. The abandonment of the Ancient City of Qalhat plays a positive role in the conservation of its authenticity. The site has not been occupied since the 16th century and, therefore, it preserves all characteristics of organization, function, and architectural techniques corresponding to the Islamic Period in general and the period of the Hormuz Kingdom in particular. Conservation, visitor management, and site presentation plans aim at preserving this state to the largest extent possible. Likewise, archaeological excavations have been well-planned, thorough, and minimal, an approach that should be commended and continued. Conservation works undertaken post-excavation will likewise be guided by minimum intervention approaches. The location of the Ancient City of Qalhat between the mountains, deep valleys, and the sea is essential to its largely retained authenticity in the setting.
Muscat Daily
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Muscat Daily
Nakhal court slaps RO3,000 fine on car dealer for contract breach
Muscat – The Primary Court in Nakhal has fined a commercial establishment RO3,000 and terminated a vehicle purchase contract following a consumer complaint over a delayed and defective car delivery. In a complaint filed by a woman with the Consumer Protection Department in Barka, she stated that she purchased a 2022 model year used vehicle from a dealer for RO14,450 with delivery scheduled for January 25, 2025. However, the dealer not only failed to deliver the vehicle on time but supplied a different model with multiple defects despite the delay. Following the complaint, the matter was referred to the Public Prosecution and then to the court, which found three defendants guilty of two misdemeanours – failing to provide the agreed service and failing to disclose the vehicle's condition in the contract or invoice. Each defendant was fined RO500 for each offence, resulting in a total fine of RO3,000. The court also ordered the dealer to refund the full amount paid by the consumer (RO14,450), compensate the customer an additional RO500 and cover all legal expenses. Consumer Protection Authority reaffirmed its commitment to protecting consumer rights and warned that it would continue to take strict legal action against violators. It also urged all commercial establishments to adhere to applicable laws and regulations to avoid similar legal action.
Observer
25-02-2025
- Business
- Observer
MHT to redesign, transform major tourist destinations
Muscat: Tourism has fully recovered from the repercussions of the pandemic, but the private sector is still dealing with issues such as financial debt that was incurred around that time. Azzan bin Qasim al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Tourism, while speaking at the Omani Economic Association's dialogue session at the Cultural Club in Qurm added that the new projects by the ministry for this year include the transformation of the White Mountain ranges, Ras al Hadd, the Muttrah Waterfront Road, dunes in the North and South al Sharqiyah Governorates, Al Jabal Al Akhdar, the coastal road between Quriyat and Sur apart from the development of the Ibri Cave. He said the number of hotel facilities was around 1,000 facilities at the end of 2024, the volume of investments in the tourism sector has been around RO2.4 billion, and added that there are more than 1,500 establishments that practice the activity of accommodation and operate without a license and the ministry have been correcting the statues of these establishments. The Sultanate of Oman has reopened the tourism representative office in China to target Chinese tourists The government seeks to raise the contribution of the tourism sector to 5.9% of the GDP by 2040, which will also help contribute to enhancing economic diversification and providing more job opportunities for young people in the tourism, hotel and hospitality sectors, and other related sectors. The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism hopes to contribute around 2.75% to the GDP at constant prices in 2025 with investments of RO3 billion for the period from 2021 to 2025, and the number of hotel rooms on offer will be 33,000 hotel rooms by the end of the year.
Zawya
25-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Oman: MHT to redesign, transform major tourist destinations
Muscat: Tourism has fully recovered from the repercussions of the pandemic, but the private sector is still dealing with issues such as financial debt that was incurred around that time. Azzan bin Qasim al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Tourism, while speaking at the Omani Economic Association's dialogue session at the Cultural Club in Qurm added that the new projects by the ministry for this year include the transformation of the White Mountain ranges, Ras al Hadd, the Muttrah Waterfront Road, dunes in the North and South al Sharqiyah Governorates, Al Jabal Al Akhdar, the coastal road between Quriyat and Sur apart from the development of the Ibri Cave. He said the number of hotel facilities was around 1,000 facilities at the end of 2024, the volume of investments in the tourism sector has been around RO2.4 billion, and added that there are more than 1,500 establishments that practice the activity of accommodation and operate without a license and the ministry have been correcting the statues of these establishments. The Sultanate of Oman has reopened the tourism representative office in China to target Chinese tourists The government seeks to raise the contribution of the tourism sector to 5.9% of the GDP by 2040, which will also help contribute to enhancing economic diversification and providing more job opportunities for young people in the tourism, hotel and hospitality sectors, and other related sectors. The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism hopes to contribute around 2.75% to the GDP at constant prices in 2025 with investments of RO3 billion for the period from 2021 to 2025, and the number of hotel rooms on offer will be 33,000 hotel rooms by the end of the year. Observer Web Team
