Oman’s first agritourism firm to venture into fruit farming and processing
Published: 02:07 PM,Jul 03,2024 | EDITED : 06:07 PM,Jul 03,2024
Janaen’s agritourism activities are presently centred around the pomegranate fruit farming landscapes of Al Jabal Al Akhdar.
MUSCAT, JULY 3
Galvanized by the success of its maiden agritourism initiative, dubbed ‘Rummana’, the Agritourism Development Company (Janaen) – the first such company of its kind in the Sultanate of Oman – has unveiled plans to embark into commercial-scale fruit farming and processing.
Janaen, established in 2021, is a joint venture of Oman Food Investment Holding Company (Nitaj) and Omran Group, the state-backed tourism investment company. Both Nitaj and Omran are subsidiaries of the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) which has identified agritourism as a promising economic segment of the tourism industry centring on the country’s traditional fruit-farming geographies.
Janaen’s Rummana project – a ground-breaking agricultural and touristic experience centring around the pomegranate harvesting season in Al Jabal Al Akhdar – pulled in over 22,000 visitors when it was held during the post-summer period last year. The project was a collaborative effort between Teepee, a cultural immersion glamping company, ABS Group, an Omani food investment enterprise, and Janaen.
Spanning over 12 weeks, Rummana offered an immersive experience into the world of pomegranates, with visitors given an opportunity to engage in interactive workshops, art installations, and guided hike. For the duration of the festival, a pomegranate farm in Saiq villae was transformed into a sought-after tourist destination featuring diverse recreational, cultural, and touristic activities and events.
Seeking to build on this initial success, Janaen is now preparing to launch a number of new initiatives. In collaboration with Omran Group, it has fashioned a trademark for the Janaen Jabal Al Akhdar project.
“Efforts are underway to design and produce packaging and canning containers for fruits cultivated in the Janaen Jabal Al Akhdar farms, including olive oil, rose water, apricots, figs, grapes, pears, and apples,” said Nitaj, which owns a 50% share in Janaen, in its 2023 Annual Report.
To support its processing activities, the cultivation of fig trees at the Janaen Jabal Al Akhdar farms has been expanded. Furthermore, at Iteen in the Wilayat of Salalah (Dhofar Governorate, Janaen has signed a usufruct contract covering a 2,000 sq metre plot of agricultural land that will serve as a nursery for local and non-local seedlings. Agritourism services will be offered at this site as well.
Last November, Janaen met with partners, board members and stakeholders to develop a “comprehensive strategy” to chart the future strategic direction of the company, added Nitaj in its report.
Galvanized by the success of its maiden agritourism initiative, dubbed ‘Rummana’, the Agritourism Development Company (Janaen) – the first such company of its kind in the Sultanate of Oman – has unveiled plans to embark into commercial-scale fruit farming and processing.
Janaen, established in 2021, is a joint venture of Oman Food Investment Holding Company (Nitaj) and Omran Group, the state-backed tourism investment company. Both Nitaj and Omran are subsidiaries of the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) which has identified agritourism as a promising economic segment of the tourism industry centring on the country’s traditional fruit-farming geographies.
Janaen’s Rummana project – a ground-breaking agricultural and touristic experience centring around the pomegranate harvesting season in Al Jabal Al Akhdar – pulled in over 22,000 visitors when it was held during the post-summer period last year. The project was a collaborative effort between Teepee, a cultural immersion glamping company, ABS Group, an Omani food investment enterprise, and Janaen.
Spanning over 12 weeks, Rummana offered an immersive experience into the world of pomegranates, with visitors given an opportunity to engage in interactive workshops, art installations, and guided hike. For the duration of the festival, a pomegranate farm in Saiq villae was transformed into a sought-after tourist destination featuring diverse recreational, cultural, and touristic activities and events.
Seeking to build on this initial success, Janaen is now preparing to launch a number of new initiatives. In collaboration with Omran Group, it has fashioned a trademark for the Janaen Jabal Al Akhdar project.
“Efforts are underway to design and produce packaging and canning containers for fruits cultivated in the Janaen Jabal Al Akhdar farms, including olive oil, rose water, apricots, figs, grapes, pears, and apples,” said Nitaj, which owns a 50% share in Janaen, in its 2023 Annual Report.
To support its processing activities, the cultivation of fig trees at the Janaen Jabal Al Akhdar farms has been expanded. Furthermore, at Iteen in the Wilayat of Salalah (Dhofar Governorate, Janaen has signed a usufruct contract covering a 2,000 sq metre plot of agricultural land that will serve as a nursery for local and non-local seedlings. Agritourism services will be offered at this site as well.
Last November, Janaen met with partners, board members and stakeholders to develop a “comprehensive strategy” to chart the future strategic direction of the company, added Nitaj in its report.