
Sultan Haitham City's first model villa ready soon; handover in 2026
Salem bin Ali al Siyabi, Chairman of Al Abrar Real Estate — the project's main developer — confirmed that the first phase includes 470 residential units comprising independent villas, townhouses and apartments. Construction began in September 2024 and demand remains strong, with 96 per cent of the first phase already sold.
Following the strong market response, sales for the second phase were launched in November. To attract buyers, Al Abrar Real Estate introduced flexible financing options, extending repayment terms from three to five years and offering discounts of up to 15 per cent based on the payment plan. Special Ramadan promotions also include furnishing packages for select units.
Jamal bin Nasser al Hadi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, highlighted that Al Wafa District exemplifies successful public-private collaboration in urban development. He noted that infrastructure, including roads, utilities and digital connectivity, is progressing in parallel with housing construction to ensure a seamless urban experience.
Among the key government projects within Al Wafa District is a state-of-the-art school complex developed in partnership with the Ministry of Education. The facility is expected to enhance educational services and contribute to the city's long-term urban vision.
Sultan Haitham City spans 14.8 million square metres and will eventually accommodate 100,000 residents across 19 integrated neighbourhoods. The development is structured in four phases, with completion targeted by 2045. As a model for sustainable urban planning, the city aims to position Oman as an attractive destination for both residents and investors. — ONA
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Times of Oman
9 hours ago
- Times of Oman
CBO announces auction results of 76th GDB issue
Muscat: The Central Bank of Oman (CBO) on Wednesday announced the Auction results of the 76th Government Development Bonds (GDB) issue worth OMR90 million. According to a media release issued by CBO's Market Operations Department, the 76th GDB Issue, which received overwhelming response from investors, has received applications amounted OMR189,051,000. The average yield was 4.32 percent at an equivalent price of OMR100.135, while the highest yield was 4.34 percent at an equivalent price of OMR100.045 and the lowest was at 4.28 percent at an equivalent price of OMR100.310. The 5-year Bond will be issued on Sunday 24 August 2025 and it will mature on 24 August 2030, carrying a coupon rate of 4.35 % p.a.


Times of Oman
12 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Oman's inflation rate rises by 0.8% in July 2025
Muscat: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the Sultanate of Oman recorded an increase of 0.8 percent in July 2025 compared to the same month in 2024, using 2018 as the base year. Data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) showed that prices for the 'Miscellaneous Goods and Services' group led the list of categories with the highest increase at 6.5 percent. This was followed by the 'Transport' group at 4 percent, then the 'Restaurants and Hotels' group at 2.5 percent. The 'Health' group also recorded an increase of 0.8 percent, while prices for the 'Clothing and Footwear' group rose by 0.4 percent and the 'Education' group by 0.1 percent. Conversely, prices for the 'Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages' group decreased by 1.4 percent. The 'Culture and Recreation' group declined by 0.2 percent, and the 'Furnishings, Household Equipment, and Routine Maintenance' group decreased by 0.1 percent. Meanwhile, prices for the 'Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels' group, the 'Communications' group, and the 'Tobacco' group remained stable without recording any significant change. The average inflation rate for the 'Miscellaneous Goods and Services' group in Oman during the period from January to July 2025 was about 6.2 percent. As for the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages for July 2025 compared to the same month in 2024, the data showed an increase in a number of sub-groups. The 'Food products not elsewhere classified' sub-group led the increases at 3.9 percent, followed by the 'Sugar, Jam, Honey, and Confectionery' sub-group at 3.3 percent, and then the 'Oils and Fats' sub-group at 1.9 percent. Prices for the 'Milk, Cheese, and Eggs' sub-group also rose by 1.7 percent, the 'Meat' sub-group by 0.5 percent, in addition to the 'Bread and Cereals' sub-group, which recorded an increase of 0.4 percent. The 'Non-Alcoholic Beverages' sub-group saw a slight increase of 0.1 percent. In contrast, prices for the 'Vegetables' sub-group decreased by 14.3 percent, followed by the 'Fish and Seafood' sub-group with a decrease of 1.7 percent, and then the 'Fruits' sub-group by 1.4 percent. At the governorate level, the data showed that Al Dakhiliyah Governorate recorded the highest inflation rate by the end of July 2025 compared to the same period the previous year, with an inflation rate of 1.4 percent. It was followed by Al Dhahirah Governorate at 1.3 percent, then Musandam Governorate at 1.0 percent. The inflation rate in both South Al Sharqiyah Governorate and Muscat Governorate reached 0.8 percent. Al Buraimi Governorate recorded 0.7 percent, while Al Wusta, North Al Batinah, and South Al Batinah governorates each recorded 0.4 percent. Dhofar Governorate registered an inflation rate of 0.2 percent, while no price changes were recorded in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate.


Times of Oman
13 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Digitisation and innovation transforming SMEs in Oman
Muscat: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Sultanate of Oman are witnessing rapid transformations in the fields of digitisation and innovation. The integration of digital technologies with an innovative approach is a critical factor in enabling these enterprises to achieve sustainable growth and enhance their competitiveness in local and global markets. Digital technologies provide powerful tools for improving operational efficiency, expanding customer bases, and accelerating innovation in the delivery of products and services. They also contribute to adopting innovative thinking in developing flexible business models, exploring new markets, and meeting changing customer needs more effectively. Therefore, digitisation and innovation are an essential strategy that enables SMEs to keep pace with changes and helps them grow, expand, and compete in a rapidly changing economic environment. Sajd Juma Al Salti, a digital transformation consultant, told Oman News Agency (ONA) that digitisation and innovation are fundamental factors contributing to enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs, especially given the accelerating technological transformation witnessed across various sectors. He indicated that digitisation is not merely the adoption of technology but a comprehensive transformation to improve processes, expand markets, and achieve continuous innovation that enables these enterprises to adapt and grow in the changing business environment. It is a key to opening new markets for SMEs through the adoption of modern technologies such as e-commerce and digital solutions. Al Salti added that these enterprises can expand their operations and reach local and international markets without the need for massive investments in traditional infrastructure, noting that digitisation provides the ability to reach customers quickly and easily, which opens up new opportunities for growth and expansion. He pointed out that digital innovations contribute to improving operational efficiency and reducing costs, which is crucial for SMEs seeking to excel in a competitive market. Through the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics, these enterprises can improve their internal processes, enhancing their ability to make better and faster decisions. Thereby, these enterprises can increase their competitiveness locally and internationally and achieve excellence in improving the quality of their products and services, he added. Within the same context, Maha Mohammed Al Habsi, an artificial intelligence trainer, said that artificial intelligence and emerging technologies such as cloud computing, blockchain, and the Internet of Things are key and essential tools in enabling SMEs to achieve sustainable growth and expand into new markets. She added that this trend is no longer a luxury or a future option but has become an urgent necessity in an economic environment that requires flexibility, efficiency, and the ability to keep pace with rapid changes. She explained that many small enterprises in the Sultanate of Oman have begun exploring these technologies to achieve higher operational efficiency and reduce operational costs. In his turn, Ishaq Hilal Al Sharyani, a specialist in training and qualifying entrepreneurs, said that despite the promising opportunities presented by digital transformation, SMEs face tangible challenges in adopting it, most notably limited financial and technical resources, a lack of specialized digital expertise, and resistance to change within some administrative bodies. Al Sharyani added that cybersecurity and data protection also pose an additional obstacle to a full transition to digitization. To overcome these challenges, he affirmed that enterprises must adopt comprehensive strategies that include continuous staff training, seeking digital consultancy, enhancing cooperation with emerging technology companies, and leveraging government initiatives supporting entrepreneurship. He noted that these steps enable enterprises to invest in digital infrastructure and maximize the benefits of digital transformation. He affirmed that digital transformation is a real opportunity for SMEs to enhance their competitiveness and innovation, thereby increasing their contribution to the national economy and placing them on a sustainable growth path in the modern business world. Meanwhile, legal advisor Mazen Salim Al Zidi said that legal legislation has directly contributed to the growth and prosperity of SMEs. Examples include the issuance of the Law on Simplifying Litigation in certain specific disputes, such as commercial disputes related to foreign investment, rental disputes, labour disputes in the private sector, construction disputes, and disputes related to documents containing an acknowledgment of debt. This law, he said, has contributed to expediting work and adjudicating cases that often arise from SMEs and companies with foreign investment.