(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat- The Diwan of Royal Court, represented by the Office for Conservation of the Environment (OCE), and Al Madina Real Estate Company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop the Al Khuwair Natural Reserve. The MoU was signed at a ceremony held in Grand Millennium Muscat on Monday.
The project is the first collaboration of its kind between the private and public sectors focused on developing nature reserves and promoting eco-tourism. It will open its doors to visitors in 2021 and be an ecological destination to study local wildlife, besides serving as a diverse economical and recreational destination highlighting Oman's natural treasures. The initial cost of the project is about RO20mn.
The MoU was signed by Hussain bin Ali al Abdulatif, advisor at Diwan of Royal Court and acting secretary general of Royal Court, representing the OCE, and Eng Abdulrahman Awadh Barham, CEO of Al Madina Real Estate Company.
The signing ceremony was held in the presence of Yasser bin Obaid al Salami, director general of OCE, Hassan Jaboub, CEO of Tilal Development Company, and other senior management staff members of the Diwan of Royal Court and Al Madina Group.
The MoU states that Al Madina Real Estate Company will develop the reserve covering an area of 300,000sq m and prepare it to receive visitors from Oman and abroad.
It will do so through the implementation of various green areas, walkways and the introduction of a number of electric cars for visitors to use. In addition, it will install signposts and explanatory images all over the reserve besides a number of special telescopes to enable visitors to observe wildlife. Additionally, Al Madina Real Estate Company will establish an ecological mall on a 24,000sq m plot that extends into the reservation. It will feature a design that takes into consideration the environmental objectives of the project. This mall will be connected to Muscat Grand Mall via an overhead bridge, allowing visitors to move freely between the malls.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Abdulatif said, 'The signing of the MoU with our private sector partner Al Madina Real Estate Company comes as part of our ongoing efforts to protect and maintain local wildlife, develop natural reserves and incorporate it into the local economy.'
Eng Barham said, 'We aim at contributing towards the development goals of the sultanate by drafting a general plan for the region that allows everyone to enjoy their visit while learning about the ecological history of the country and also enjoy the shopping and entertainment offered by one of the leading malls in the sultanate.'
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