Similarly to other Gulf countries, Oman has developed a plan for diversifying its economy, investing more in sustainability and tourism, in accordance with the Oman Vision 2040. As part of the vision, a new destination has been unveiled for the Al Jabal Al Akhdar mountain range.
Developed by Oman’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MoHUP) and designed by engineering firm AtkinsRéalis, the mountain destination will be built about 150 kilometres away from the capital of Muscat, at an altitude of 2,400 metres.
“The concept driving the vision for the project is to unlock the potential of Al Jabal Al Akhdar, creating a globally inclusive destination that offers diverse nature experiences while respecting the natural ecology and community on and around the Jabal Mountain”, project architect Kawther Al-Lawati told Dezeen.
The $2.4 billion (€2.2 billion) project is supposed to be a mixed-use district, providing both housing for residents and accommodation for tourists. Once complete, the Omani Mountain Destination (OMD) will be offering 2,527 residences, which should house over 8,000 people, and 2,000 hotel rooms. The goal is to receive around 2,350 overnight visitors, as well as around 2,000 daily tourists.
Formed of 3 mountain top villages, the OMD will be complete with a wellness centre, a training facility, an amphitheatre, a museum and the Wadi Al Harbi Park, a biodiversity as well as leisure centre. The park will not only have space for farming and agrotourism, but also dedicated areas for leisure and extreme activities, like mountain biking, rock climbing or bungee jumping.
“The OMD is a place of play, adventure and discovery. It balances three fundamental values: Nature, Culture and Future”, said Davide Minniti, Associate Director of Masterplanning and Urban Design at AtkinsRealis. “The master plan recognizes nature’s intrinsic value in everybody’s quality of life and well-being by blending its rugged landscape into each aspect of the project. It looks to the future through smart solutions, an urban lifestyle cantered around people, walkability and community spaces, and through the understated elegance of subtle design solutions along the wadis and escarpment.”
Among the three villages forming the destination, 85% of the environment is supposed to be pedestrianised, with waving roads integrated in the mountain sides connecting the mountain tops and a new cable car providing access to the area. Moreover, the goal is for OMD to be completely net-zero, relying solely on renewable energy with rooftop solar panels added on all buildings. The construction process is also intended to be as sustainable as possible, reintegrating mountain materials in the building of the destination and making use of passive design strategies and offsite solar farms.
