Latest news with #GreaterMuscatStructurePlan
Observer
20-07-2025
- Business
- Observer
MoHUP's urban vision wins Global Smart City Award
MUSCAT: In a major international achievement, the Greater Muscat Structure Plan has won the WAFX Award 2025 in the Smart Cities category and has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Comprehensive Urban Planning category at the upcoming World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Miami, scheduled for November 12–14, 2025. Developed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, the plan reflects Oman's bold efforts to shape a sustainable, inclusive and technologically advanced future for its capital — aligning closely with the goals of Oman Vision 2040. The WAFX Awards, introduced on the 10th anniversary of WAF, celebrate future-facing projects that offer practical solutions to global challenges including climate change, digital transformation, urban equity, and smart development. The Greater Muscat Structure Plan's win underscores Oman's rising prominence on the world stage in strategic urbanism. The plan now competes with innovative entries from nations like China, the US, the UK, Brazil, Canada, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia, a testament to the maturity of Oman's urban planning and its ability to blend cultural authenticity with global innovation. 'This award marks a key milestone in our journey to create a future-ready Muscat that respects its heritage while embracing modern urban values,' said Eng Yaqoub bin Amer al Harthy, Project Director. The plan is a testament to Oman's ability to blend cultural authenticity with global innovation 'It's not just a regulatory plan - it's a strategic blueprint that tackles core challenges like mobility, sustainability, livability, economic growth and community safety. The recognition is the result of extensive collaboration across public, private and civil sectors.' Monika Beck, Urban Planning Adviser to the Minister, highlighted the strategic and technological depth of the project 'This isn't just about innovative design - it's about crafting solutions for global issues like climate change and urban health. By embedding the plan into a Geographic Information System (GIS) framework, we ensured deep coordination across transport, sustainability, economic diversification and public services. This multidisciplinary approach is what made the plan stand out.' The plan is guided by five strategic pillars mainly: Green Muscat: Enhancing urban livability by preserving natural assets like wadis and water systems. Connected Muscat: Reducing car dependency through a smart, integrated transport network. Productive Muscat: Fostering innovation and knowledge-based industries, Vibrant Muscat: Promoting livable neighbourhoods and strong social cohesion and Safe and resilient Muscat: Designing for climate resilience and public safety. This international recognition positions Oman at the forefront of smart urban development in the region. It signals a transformative shift in urban planning - anchored in local identity, but responsive to global change. As Oman prepares to present its vision at WAF in Miami, the Greater Muscat Structure Plan is set to inspire a global audience with its people-centred, sustainable and forward-thinking approach - proving that smart cities are not just about digital innovation, but about building inclusive, resilient and culturally rooted futures.
Observer
13-07-2025
- Business
- Observer
Muscat Structure Plan competes for global urbanism award
MUSCAT, JULY 13 The Muscat Structure Plan – a blueprint for enhanced governance, future growth, and resilient development of sustainable neighbourhoods across the capital region of the Sultanate of Oman – has been shortlisted among landmark international developments vying for honours at the prestigious World Architecture Festival (WAF), set to take place in Miami, USA, later this year. The annual World Architecture Festival is the world's largest awards programme and conference dedicated to celebrating excellence in global architecture and urbanism. The 2025 edition, scheduled from November 12–14, marks the first time the event will be hosted in the United States. In an announcement, Broadway Malyan – the UK-based global architecture, urbanism and design practice – revealed that the Muscat Structure Plan is a frontrunner for one of the top accolades. 'We're excited to share that the Muscat Structure Plan is a finalist in the World Architecture Festival's Future Projects – Masterplanning category for the 2025 awards,' the firm noted. The Greater Muscat Structure Plan focuses on compact, connected development by increasing population densities in better-linked areas, aiming to curb urban sprawl. It promotes the creation of well-defined, serviced urban districts with a clear purpose, identity, and strong connection to their surroundings. To underpin economic resilience, the plan proposes the creation of 19 employment clusters, supporting Muscat's projected growth to 890,000 jobs by 2040, while driving a shift to a knowledge- and innovation-based economy. Recognising Muscat's pivotal role in delivering Oman Vision 2040, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning commissioned a technical team led by Broadway Malyan to develop the Greater Muscat Structure Plan — a strategic framework for sustainable growth and urban governance, aligned with the Sultanate's 2050 net-zero emissions target. A key feature of the Plan is the introduction of over 54 km of mass transit lines, enabling higher-density, mixed-use development on underutilised government land. The transit network is designed to bring one-third of Muscat's population within a 20-minute walk of a station or feeder stop, supporting a shift toward low-carbon, accessible urban living. Additionally, the Plan seeks to leverage Muscat's natural and heritage assets — including its dramatic coastline and historic identity — to position the capital as a compelling destination for tourism, investment, and regional talent. The city's 12 wadi systems, which connect the mountains to the coast, form the backbone of a proposed open-space network, reinforcing Muscat's transformation into a lush, green urban oasis amidst its arid surroundings.
Observer
24-06-2025
- Business
- Observer
Muscat Municipal Council reviews employment initiatives
MUSCAT: The Muscat Governorate Municipal Council held a meeting under the chairmanship of Sayyid Saud bin Hilal al Busaidy, Governor of Muscat, on Tuesday. During the meeting, the council reviewed a statement from Khazaen Economic City regarding the used car market. In its statement, Khazaen Economic City affirmed that the used car market is a practical solution to the problem of random distribution of showrooms, noting that the project will regulate the market thus enabling entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises to function within a conducive commercial environment. The project will also reduce the costs for sellers and consumers, provide qualitative benefits to consumers, improve operational efficiency and attract local and international investments. The Muscat Municipal Council also reviewed the statement of the National Employment Programme, a strategic initiative aimed at providing job opportunities for citizens. The council approved the minutes of its previous meeting and the recommendations regarding the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning's statement on the Greater Muscat Structure Plan. The council stressed the importance of ongoing institutional partnerships between relevant entities in the implementation of major strategic projects particularly those related to smart and sustainable city objectives. The council reviewed the Social Affairs Committee's recommendations regarding the Oman Down Syndrome Association. The council emphasised the importance of continuing integrated institutional work, providing supportive facilities to ensure the stability of services provided and coordinating with relevant authorities to enhance the effectiveness of current programmes and reduce operational burdens that may hamper the continuation of specialised community activities.
Observer
26-05-2025
- Business
- Observer
Green energy for Oman's smart city projects
MUSCAT: Oman's national grid will be suitably expanded and modernized to help meet a dramatic leap in the green energy requirements of a slate of Smart Cities and sustainable urban development schemes currently in various stages of early implementation in various parts of the Sultanate. According to Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC), the majority-state-owned operator of the national grid, an upgrade of the Electricity Transmission Master-Plan for the 2025 – 2040 timeframe will factor in the clean energy demand projections of these landmark urban schemes. 'The plan ensures resilience, reliability, efficiency, and adaptability to future energy needs,' OETC – part of Nama Group – said. 'Additionally, the new plan will include, load forecasting, renewable energy integration plans, green hydrogen integration, transmission expansion planning, ancillary services analysis, economic and environmental assessments and potential cross-border interconnections,' it noted in its latest Annual Transmission Capability Statement. The master-plan envisions significant clean energy demand growth from, among other sectors, a large portfolio of sustainable smart cities being advanced by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning in alignment with Oman Vision 2040. 'These urban projects aim to enhance economic growth, sustainability, and quality of life by integrating smart infrastructure, green energy, and advanced technology,' said OETC in its statement. Topping the list in terms of anticipated energy demand is the Greater Muscat Structure Plan, an ambitious urban development scheme with a projected clean energy requirement of a hefty 5 gigawatts (GW) when it is fully implemented by 2040. A focused spatial development strategy for the sprawling 1360km² metropolitan region of the city also envisions investments in renewable energy, AI-driven urban services, and transport connectivity. Sultan Haitham City, the country's first fully smart city, is expected to have an energy demand of around 105 MW by 2040. Covering an area of 14.8 million square meters, the new city will comprise as many as 19 integrated neighborhoods to be built in four phases over a 22-year timeframe spanning the 2024 - 2045 period. When fully built out, it will accommodate over 100,000 inhabitants. The smart city will feature net-zero buildings, digital infrastructure, and electric transport. In Dhofar Governorate, the Greater Salalah Structure Plan envisions the development of a regional trade and tourism hub focusing on green infrastructure and wind energy integration. Energy demand is estimated at more than 200MW by 2040. A similar structure plan for Greater Nizwa entails the expansion of the historic city with an emphasis on water management and eco-tourism. Clean energy demand is projected at over 400 MW by 2040. Likewise, the Ibri Structural Plan – centring on the establishment of a logistics and renewable energy hub supporting solar and wind power projects – estimates clean energy demand at more than 350MW by 2040. In Suhar, a new smart industrial and residential city is envisaged with the goal of enhancing Oman's role as a trade and logistics center. The estimated energy demand of the city is more than 240MW by 2040. 'OETC plays a vital role in integrating these smart cities into a reliable, efficient, and future-ready power grid. The main areas of integration include renewable energy by expanding transmission networks to support solar, wind, and decentralized power generation, Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure by establishing smart EV charging networks across new urban areas and grid expansion via enhancing transmission lines and reactive power compensation to support urban growth,' the grid operator added.
Observer
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Observer
Heavy vehicles above 3 tonnes not allowed on Mountain Road
The Muscat Municipality is imposing height restrictions on Al Jabal Road (Amerat-Bausher Mountain Road) at four different locations. "To improve safety and traffic flow, Muscat Municipality is installing height restriction barriers on Amerat–Bausher Mountain Road to limit vehicles over three tonnes or three metres high. Heavy vehicle drivers are advised to follow instructions and use alternative routes," a statement said. The municipality earlier invited bids from contractors who will be responsible for all design and construction work related to the installation of height restriction signages on the road. As the mountain road has been prone to regular fatal accidents, especially those involving heavy-duty trucks that also disrupt traffic, there have been requests from the public for a permanent solution, such as an alternative tunnel road to connect the two wilayats of Amerat and Bausher, respectively. According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT), a related tender will be announced this year for the tunnel project. The Greater Muscat Structure Plan (GMSP) places lots of importance on connectivity via public transportation and less dependence on private vehicles, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MoHUP). As per the plan, the Wilayat of Al Amerat, separated from the rest of the city by mountains, will be connected through a road tunnel in addition to the existing mountain road. This tunnel will change the face of Al Amerat as it will help link the suburb with Ruwi through a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), those connected with the masterplan says.
