Steeped in history but with an eye to the future, the northernmost governorate of Musandam is on a development path that will entice both discerning tourists and investors seeking access to the Gulf. In line with the Sultan’s directive to provide essential services infrastructure to all regions, several projects have been initiated in the exclave to improve its connectivity and accessibility. This bodes well for domestic and international tourists drawn to the peninsula’s striking geography and cultural offerings, while greater linkages to Muscat, northern Gulf states and beyond should stimulate business interest in the “Norway of Arabia”. Jutting into the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam’s location is unique in that 90% of the Gulf’s global oil shipments cross through the only navigable waters in the Strait, which belong to Oman. While this trading passage has become increasingly important geopolitically in recent years, the maritime culture is historically rooted in the region’s traditional activities of fishing, boatbuilding and handicraft output such as the Jirz or Musandam Axe, a symbol dating back to the Bronze Age.
INFRASTRUCTURE: The territory consists of four wilayats (provinces), with the greatest concentration of its 30,000 inhabitants residing in the regional capital and administrative centre, Khasab, where a number of infrastructure projects earmarked by the government are taking place. The Supreme Council for Planning has allocated some OR500m ($1.3bn) during the eighth five-year plan (2011-15) for implementing these service projects to develop the governorate and create jobs for locals. The important Khasab-Lima-Dibba road, which has been under study for over 10 years and presently only caters to 4x4 vehicles, will be extended by 92 km, bolstering overland communication and overall connectivity with the rest of Oman while opening up opportunities for tourism development. The management and operation of Musandam’s ports – particularly Khasab Port, which is currently handled by the Omani government – is under review, with the goal of hiring a specialist commercial or tourism port operator that will improve services and usability. Floating berths, buildings and warehousing are undergoing feasibility studies at Khasab, with the aim of facilitating trade linkages with regional neighbours and improving tourism transportation.
FERRIES: A significant investment in Oman’s maritime transport and tourism infrastructure, the National Ferries Company (NFC), established in 2006, is also doing its bit to serve the growing demand of tourists and businesspeople en route to Musandam and its wilayats. The service takes 550-600 passengers monthly between Muscat and Khasab. Having now expanded its service to include a route from Khasab to Dibba Port, which can only be reached by sea or helicopter, the NFC and its fast ferries are working to open up the distinctive region to Omani and global tourists alike.
Keen to encourage further private sector investment and organise greater movement of passengers and cargo between Musandam and neighbouring states the NFC, with the Omani-Iranian Joint Commission, are conducting studies and field tests that would create a direct marine route between Khasab Port and Bahonar Port in Bandar Abbas, Iran. As part of the Ishq Abad Convention, which was signed in 2011 by Oman, Iran, Qatar, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, focus will also be on establishing a regional transit and transport corridor, while ensuring travel safety, environmental protection and equal regulations for all transport service providers of member countries – an important step to ensuring the long-term viability and sustainability of these routes.
HOTELS: With tourism still the main draw and a focal point for investment in Musandam, government tourism developer Omran is building a three-star hotel in Khasab, scheduled to be operational by the end of 2013. This will be in addition to the two other hotels they have built in Khasab and Dibba, which are operated by Golden Tulip Hotels & Resorts. And with the luxury eco-retreat of Six Senses at Zighy Bay gaining international acclaim, there are existing options and future opportunities to suit any and all visitors to Oman’s northern headland.
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