Dubai-based Jumeirah Group has signed a management agreement with Saraya Bandar Jissah to operate a luxury resort in Muscat, Oman.

When complete, the resort will have two hotel components, one consisting of 206 rooms and the other of 106 rooms, located in the cove of Bandar Jissah, near Qantab, between the Hajjar Mountains and the Gulf of Oman.

The resort forms part of a larger development that involves the construction of duplexes, villas, five-star hotels, sports and recreational facilities, and a heritage village. The entire development is being built on a 2.2-square-kilometre plot of land.

In May, contractors submitted bids for construction of the hotel and other resort buildings.

The prospective bidders include:

• Alec (UAE)
• Al-Turki Enterprises (local)
• Bahwan Engineering (local)
• Carillion Allawi (local/UK)
• Habtoor Leighton Group (UAE/Australia)
• Oman Shapoorji Construction Company (Osco) (India)

India’s Nagarjuna Construction Company International started work on the enabling package last year. The consultants working on the project include US-based RTKL as the architect, the UK’s Halcrow Yolles as the engineer and the UK’s Aedas as the interior designer.

Jordan-based Saraya Holdings is developing the project in joint venture with Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran).

In the first week of December, UK-based Atkins was appointed to manage the infrastructure works for the development.

The resort is expected to open in 2017.