The advisory contract entails a six-month scoping study on the development of the airports, followed by design work. The breakdown of the 25-year arrangement between Muscat and OAMC, reached in 2001, was blamed largely on differences over the cost and design of the expansion of Seeb airport. It is understood that the government's new plan is radically different from those earlier envisaged, with a new terminal being built on the opposite side of the runway - rather than the existing terminal being expanded - and the old terminal being turned into a cargo hub.

OAMC was a joint venture between the government with 20 per cent, state-owned Oman Aviation Serviceswith 5 per cent and a consortium called Capital Aviation Servicesled by the British Airports Authority (BAA). A soft handover is under way, with BAA officials staying on in an advisory capacity. National Economy Minister Ahmed bin Abdulnabi Macki in early January said that the government still aimed ultimately to privatise the sultanate's airports (MEED 7:1:05).