WORK on Oman’s largest shopping and entertainment destination will begin this year, developer Majid Al Futtaim Properties said.

The Mall of Oman will be built on an area of 157,000 sq m and at a cost of RO180 million ($49.42 million), said the Dubai-based developer, owner and operator of shopping malls, hotels and mixed-use communities in the Mena (Middle East and North Africa) region.

The mall will comprise 350 stores in addition to a leisure component.

Anchor tenants at the Mall of Oman will include Carrefour, Vox Cinemas and Magic Planet, in addition to several other brands, set to make their first entry into Oman via the Mall of Oman.

Majid Al Futtaim is also planning to upgrade and expand its portfolio in Dubai, too, including an investment of more than Dh900 million ($247 million) to expand its flagship Mall of the Emirates.