OMAN Tourism Development Company (Omran) has awarded the local Galfar Construction Company a contract to build the Wusta region’s first luxury hotel at Duqm, estimated to cost in excess of RO25 million ($64.9 million).

KEO International has been appointed consultant for the hotel that will be built in traditional Omani style. The four-storey structure will feature 228-room hotel and suites as well as a complete range of dining, leisure, and recreational amenities.

As a property oriented towards business travellers, the hotel will also be equipped for meetings, conferences and banquets.

The beachfront property, which will cater primarily to business investors, executives and government officials, supports the development of a major industrial and commercial hub at Duqm, anchored by a world-class port and dry dock complex.

In addition to executing the hotel project, Galfar will also construct a graded access road to the property, besides providing supply and electricity connections.

Omran is developing the four-star property on a 10-hectare plot overlooking the Arabian Sea, a short distance from Duqm town.

Omran has roped in leading hotel chain InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) to operate the property under the Crowne Plaza brand. This follows an agreement signed by the government with IHG in 2008 for the development of the Duqm hotel.

With a construction timeframe of around two years, the project is slated for completion by end-2011 or early 2012.