THE Oman office of Atkins has been appointed the supervisor for the infrastructure works on site at the $600-million Saraya Bandar Jissah, the newest integrated residential and leisure development in Muscat, Oman.

Atkins Oman will manage the progress of the infrastructure works, which have been tendered, and supervise the infrastructure contractor.

Saraya Bandar Jissah, the company developing the project, said good progress is being made on site, with the first phase of work on site – the earthworks – nearing completion following 12 months of scheduled work.

The masterplanned resort community at Saraya Bandar Jissah has been designed to complement the natural landscape and follow the contours of the mountainside enclosing the dry wadi. The earthworks phase prepared the ground on site and shaped it to the specified landscape architecture required for the subsequent infrastructure and superstructure development stages.

In its supervisory role, Atkins will oversee the quality of construction of the underground utilities including the networks for domestic water, irrigation, fire-fighting, sewage water, storm water, low currents, telecommunications and low- and medium-voltage electricity networks on site.

Sheikh Hamood Al Hosni, CEO of Saraya Bandar Jissah, said: “Atkins will provide a clear and steady view of the progress of the infrastructure works, a phase of construction on site that is vital to maintaining our construction schedule and also to the final quality of the development as a whole.”

Saraya Bandar Jissah will provide close to 400 residential properties and two five-star hotels on a two-million-sq-m site bordered by the Hajar mountain range and the Sea of Oman. Construction commenced on site with the earthworks in August 2012. The grand opening of two hotels on site is scheduled for 2017.