Orascom Expands Tourism Investment Across Oman - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

Orascom Development and its Omani platform Muriya are moving ahead with major tourism and real estate projects across the Sultanate. Development continues at Hawana Salalah, Jebel Sifah and As Sodah Island, while the company plans to add around 1,000 hotel rooms over the next three to five years.

Muriya, a partnership between Orascom Development and OMRAN, has invested more than $750 million in Oman to date. The company says none of its projects in the country has been suspended, underlining its long-term commitment to a market where tourism is expected to play an important role in economic diversification under Oman Vision 2040.

Hawana Salalah approaches next delivery milestone

At Hawana Salalah, the first phase of Amazi is nearly 80 percent complete and remains on schedule for delivery in the first quarter of 2027. The Lubana Islands development is currently in the design phase.

Construction is also progressing on new phases at Jebel Sifah. Across Hawana Salalah and Jebel Sifah, Muriya intends to add approximately 1,000 hotel rooms within the next three to five years, further expanding accommodation capacity at the two destinations.

“Oman has everything we look for as long-term developers: stability, natural beauty and a clear vision for its future,” said Naguib S. Sawiris, Chairman of Orascom Development. “Our continued investment across all three destinations reflects that conviction: we build with decades in mind, and Oman is a country we intend to grow with in any circumstance.”

More than $90 million planned for As Sodah

The most ambitious of the current developments is As Sodah, located on a private island off the coast of Dhofar.

More than $25 million has already been invested in infrastructure and construction, with at least another $65 million expected to follow. This would take total investment in the project beyond $90 million.

According to the company, construction is being financed through shareholder capital and institutional support rather than relying on off-plan property sales.

“We have not paused a single project in Oman,” said Eng. Ashraf Nessim, CEO of Muriya Tourism Development. “We believe in this country for the long term, and our sustained investment across Salalah, Sifah and As Sodah reflects genuine confidence in its future.”

Tourism investment supports Oman Vision 2040

The projects form part of a broader expansion of tourism infrastructure as Oman seeks to diversify its economy. Under Oman Vision 2040, tourism is intended to contribute to attracting international visitors and investment while generating employment and economic activity within the Sultanate.

For Orascom and Muriya, the strategy is based on developing integrated destinations over the long term rather than individual tourism properties in isolation.

The approach follows a model Orascom has already applied at destinations including El Gouna in Egypt, Andermatt in Switzerland and Mamula Island in Montenegro, combining hotels, residential developments and tourism infrastructure.

Muriya builds its Omani portfolio

Muriya’s three principal destinations in Oman now represent different stages of development, from the established tourism communities of Hawana Salalah and Jebel Sifah to the emerging private-island project at As Sodah.

With more hotel capacity planned and construction continuing across all three locations, the company is positioning its investment programme alongside Oman’s long-term strategy to expand tourism and attract higher levels of international capital.

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