Oman has just announced plans for a $2.4 billion mixed-use project, the new Omani Mountain Destination on Jabal al Akhdar. Masterplanned by AtkinsRéalis, the scheme aims to attract sustainable development opportunities, hoping to "operate as Net Zero Carbon and striving to use 100% renewable energy." The project is in alignment with Oman Vision 2040, seeking a developed, diversified, and sustainable economy;, featuring residences, hotels, and a health village.
Planned in consultation with local communities, the scheme is committed to producing social value, with surveys informing plans to meet local needs and provide 5,000 new jobs. Expecting a residential population of over 8,000 and numerous daily visitors, the project prioritizes reimagining urban life in the mountain. Sitting at 2,400m altitude, the Mountain Destination is 150 km from Muscat; boasting 2,527 residences, 2,000 hospitality rooms, a health and wellness village, and more. Implementing an 85% pedestrianized environment, the scheme also features “Dark Sky Zone,” a high-altitude sports training facility, and an international biodiversity R&D center.
The Omani Mountain Destination (OMD) is a place of play, adventure, and discovery. It balances three fundamental values: Nature, Culture, and Future. The master plan recognizes nature's intrinsic value in everybody's quality of life and well-being by blending its rugged landscape into each aspect of the project. It looks to the future through smart solutions, an urban lifestyle centered around people, walkability, and community spaces, and through the understated elegance of subtle design solutions along the wadis and escarpment. -- Davide Minniti, Associate Director Masterplanning / Urban Design of AtkinsRealis
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Saudi Arabia's 2030 Vision Unveiled through Mega ProjectsThe development incorporates features like escarpment walks within a National Scenic Reserve to minimize light pollution and preserve the Dark Sky Zone, ultimately protecting the area's ecosystem. Moreover, it includes establishing Wadi Al Harbi Park, which provides facilities for extreme sports and leisure activities. Transport upgrades are also being planned to better service the area, including access roads and a new cable car.
The new Wadi Al Harbi Park, which will have a new bridge, farming and agrotourism, family-friendly recreational activities, mountain biking, and extreme sports facilities like rock climbing and bungy jumping, are also part of the plan. The two most populous governorates in the nation, South and North Batinah, will have access to the OMD through a new access road from the north and upgrades to the area's existing transportation facilities, which are now under construction.
In other recent news, WXCA Architects unveiled the design for a new “green district of the future,” to be developed on a former FSO car factory site in Warsaw. Covering over 60 hectares, the project aims to accommodate more than 17,000 residents and provide employment for approximately 13,000 individuals by 2050. Additionally, MAD Architects recently announced the completion of the Jixiang master plan train station in the historic city 100 km southwest of Shanghai. Finally, BIG has just unveiled “Gelephu,” an envisioned master plan that draws from Bhutanese culture, Gross National Happiness principles, and spiritual heritage.
