Nearing completion, Oman Botanic Garden offers investment opportunities

MUSCAT: Oman Botanic Garden (OBG) is in the final stages of completion and offers investment opportunities for small and medium enterprises in the Sultanate of Oman such as operating cafes or restaurants.

At the recently held World Travel Meet (WTM) in London, the OBG team highlighted that the project will offer an integrated experience that combines environmental diversity and the preservation of the natural heritage of Oman, which will attract domestic and international visitors.

The project will present the natural environments in Dhofar, Al Hajar Mountains and Musandam besides the outdoor environments like that of desert, wadis and terrace farming.

The project will use modern technologies including the use of mobile applications, touch and interactive screens.

One of the features of the garden is that all the glass exteriors are made of triple layers, which will reduce the temperature that enters the building, thereby reducing the use of air conditioning. During cold climates, the garden will use natural ventilation, by allowing cold air to enter the building reducing the use of electricity.

The site of Al Khoud village was chosen because of its proximity to the infrastructure in Muscat Governorate and is surrounded by mountains with distinctive terrain, which offers different rock formations.

Located just around 35 km from Muscat International Airport, the project will offer avenues for research, fun, learning, expert interactions and a visitor experience.

It will also offer a cable car experience to visitors for the first time in the country. Other amenities will include open playgrounds, event spaces and interactive areas.

Earlier speaking to Observer, Dr Khalid al Farsi, head of the horticulture department, said, “We record all the information about each single plant in our master database, including their original location, the method of propagation, ethnobotanical uses, and more. The majority of the information about plant uses can only be sourced from specific local experts."