Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC) says all options for funding are open for the planned real estate and retail development projects linked to the Muscat and Salalah international airports.

The airport city in Salalah is currently undergoing concept design and study, while the planned Muscat Airport City is still at a very early planning stage.

OAMC CEO Aimen Ahmed al-Hosni said in March that the planned airport city in Muscat is part of its five-year strategic growth plan commencing in 2016.

Three zones have been identified for the real estate and retail development project around the Muscat International airport: the areas facing Al-Mouj Muscat, the area along18th November Street, and the area around the existing terminal.

A public-private partnership (PPP) model is likely to be tapped in delivering the two projects given Oman’s ongoing fiscal constraints.

The sultanate incurred a17.6 per cent deficit in 2015, and continued reforms and spending cuts have been recommended to keep the deficit from further widening in 2016.

Oman’s non-oil GDP growth slowed to 4 per cent in 2015 and is likely to slow further in 2016. The Washington-based IMF had earlier recommended that continuing reforms to create an improved business environment and priority government spending could allow recovery in the longer term.