THE BUSINESS OF FUN

In his book The Road to Ubar: Finding the Atlantis of the Sands, author Nicholas Clapp writes of an expedition that takes place in the deserts of Oman in search of the lost city of Ubar – a fabled ancient town that was once considered to be the ‘first among the lost treasuries of Arabia’. But investors needn’t necessarily risk their lives trudging through the harsh deserts of this mystical land to reap the treasures that this bountiful country has to offer.

Located on the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula where the Persian Gulf meets the Arabian Sea, Oman has earned a reputation for its long record of stable and reliable growth. According to the 2015 Oman Report of the Oxford Business Group, the country’s industrial sector is poised for expansion, with plans to develop new facilities in major industrial hubs such as Sohar and Salalah. Additional development of the country’s ports, rail and airports will help in promoting Oman’s reputation as a regional logistics hub, which in turn will boost tourism in the ‘Jewel of the Arabian Peninsula’.

In the midst of all these is Majarat Oman – a futuristic, alien-themed park set to open in 2018 at Al Sawadi Beach Resort Spa, one of Oman’s most popular beaches, 45 minutes away from the capital, Muscat. With an envisaged built-up area measuring 25,000 sq m, the USD216million venture will not only be the largest indoor theme park facility in the country, but also the first for the sultanate.

The agreement for the development of Majarat Oman was signed in 2013 between Amusement Cities LLC  and Fatik bin Fahar (FBF) Group of Companies. Arab Malaysia Development LLC (AMDC) is the promoter of  Amusement Cities LLC, a special purpose vehicle formed by AMDC.  Sanderson Group, an Australian-owned international thematic entertainment design and construction company that is based in Malaysia is the majority shareholder, and would also be consultants in the overall design and development of the theme park.

When asked about the meaning behind the theme park’s name, Syed Asad Ali, Managing Director of AMDC, revealed that the Sanderson Group had initially proposed using the word ‘galaxy’ to link with the alien theme, “but we later realised this word was already being used by other theme parks around the world, so we decided to use the Arabic translation of the word instead.”

Dato’ Syed Tajul Arif, one of the partners of AMDC, explained that the purpose of the project is to cater to the needs of Omanis looking for a suitable space to spend quality time with their families during the long summer break without having to travel overseas. “In Malaysia, we’re used to having theme parks while, in Oman, the only facilities available are on a much smaller scale and mostly outdoors, which is not suitable during the hot summer months. There’s simply a lack of covered or secure entertainment space for people in Oman to enjoy their holidays.”

“Initially, we were looking to invest in the real estate market, which at the time was still sluggish following the collapse of the Lehman Brothers in 2008,” said Asad. “After more research, we decided to reposition the company to focus on theme parks as this was something that had yet to be introduced in Oman.”

According to Ahmed Mahamed Al Jabri, Managing Partner of Amusement Cities LLC, the state-of-the-art theme park will house 30 attractions across four different zones. This will include a family entertainment centre; rides and restaurants; business centres and spas. A highlight would be a unique tethered balloon, which has a 30-seat capacity.

“Anyone from the age of three to 93 will have something to look forward to, but what we’d like to emphasise about Majarat Oman is that it will also be ‘special needs-friendly’. This is something we’re very proud of, as you won’t find anything similar even in Dubai or the UAE,” said Asad.

Beyond boosting domestic tourism, Majarat Oman also intends to strengthen the local economy by providing up to 350 job opportunities for Omanis while also generating business opportunities for SME entities. “Our policy has always been to involve the local community, so anything related to the project, be it kiosks or even transportation, will be open to the surrounding community. We’ll be offering a mix between fixed and part-time employment.”

More importantly, Asad said he is confident that the project would help boost bilateral ties between Malaysia and Oman. “Not only is this project brought in by Malaysians, but all the consultants on board also hail from Malaysia.”

“The thing about the theme park business model that makes it so unique is that it all starts from the top, where everything is so new.  Naturally, this will pique the curiosity of the public. Once that subsides, you just need to start introducing new elements or upgrade the rides every few years in order to sustain the business. And seeing as this will be Oman’s first-ever theme park, we are confident that the local market will be able to sustain this project.”