The fully-functioning capital is one of the Middle East’s finest
After a spate of
construction and infrastructure building in the 1980s and 1990s, a modern
network of roads, airports and harbours is now in place to help the
economy move forward to the next level. Investment has poured into other
facilities, such as power generation, telecommunications and water,
to provide the essential services for development. The country also
boasts some of the finest healthcare and educational establishments
in the region.
The local construction sector is well developed, offering international
levels of quality and expertise. Naturally, there is a strong British
flavour. One of the largest players is Carillion
Alawi, a joint venture between UK firm Carillion (formerly Tarmac)
and the Alawi group, a local family-owned business. It has an impressive
track record in delivering high-profile projects on time and within
budget, including the flagship Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat.
Formed in 1978, other important developments include the Royal Hospital
and the Salalah container terminal.
|
||
 |
David
Skinner, Regional Manager, says that there is still a
lot of work in the pipeline. “The construction sector of Oman has
been a bit of a roller coaster ride – there have been good years
and bad years. My feeling is that there is quite a lot of work for the
sector in the future. The problem is the length of time to bring projects
from concept to actually breaking ground – sometimes, it is a lot
longer than you would expect.”
Carillion Alawi is eager to expand its business in the fast-growing
tourism sector and looks to tap opportunities associated with various
gas-based industrial projects and the Oman LNG plant expansion.
The promotion of new industrial areas outside Muscat also offers
fresh potential for the country’s major building firms. Mr Skinner
hopes to consolidate the company’s position with the next generation
of large projects. Innovation is another of its competitive strengths,
he says. “We’re definitely not the biggest, but I think we’re
well-respected.”
 |
| Carillion Alawi wants to consolidate its position as one of the country’s leading construction firms |
|
The rapid development
of Oman in recent years is most obvious in the capital city, Muscat,
the economic and political powerhouse of the country. It has become
a prosperous, fully-functioning green city that stands out as one of
the Middle East’s finest. Indeed, it has won international recognition
for being the most beautiful and cleanest city in Arabia. Much of the
credit for this goes to the city’s management team, which has played
a key role in strengthening the local transport system and providing
basic amenities like water.
HE Abdullah Bin Abbas Bin Ahmed, President of Muscat Municipality,
says the most important legacy is the image that has been created for
the city, a clean, green and less polluted place that provides a more
sedate alternative to the business pulse of Dubai. This is a city that
works – even at rush hour, traffic in Muscat still moves freely.
“People who have visited Muscat fall in love with the calm city,
its beautiful nature,” he says.
Muscat Municipality is looking to work with the government and
the private sector on key initiatives like tourism projects and the
development of the city centre and central business district. It is
keen to expand the city’s social options, including introducing
more shopping malls and entertainment venues. The aim is to get the
message out to the rest of the world. “We have beautiful heritage,
but we need to promote it,” he says. “We have a variety of
things to offer and a different climate, we only need to publicise it.”
[email protected]