Omran celebrates laying of foundation stone for The Asian Beach Games olympic village

A wide range of VIPs, dignitaries and government officials saw the laying of the foundation stone.

The ceremony was held under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said, the Minister of Heritage and Culture, who said, "It is wonderful to see firsthand the progress at the Asian Beach Games site here in Mussanah. The Games will play an important role in the development of Oman as a world-class tourism destination and strengthen the friendship amongst Asian nations, of which we are a part."

He added, "We congratulate Omran, the developer behind the project, on its responsible approach to development. With plans for the Asian Beach Games site to become a mixed-use residential and commercial development, its significance is set to continue for years to come."

Omran is responsible for developing all the facilities required to host the Games in December 2010, including the play pitches, athlete's accommodation and water sports arena. Following a rigorous planning stage, construction began on-site in early June 2008, and already the construction team of more than 780 workers have completed almost 350 days of work.

Work on-site continues on schedule with the first phase of development, platform construction, now complete. The marina work is also progressing well on waterfront elements, including the sailing park and swimming area, which are nearly 50% complete. Work on other elements, such as the permanent structures and soft landscaping, are entering their initial phases.

HE Dr. Rajha Bint Abdul Ameer Bin Ali, the Minister of Tourism and Omran Chairperson, said:

"This is a landmark development for Oman and we are delighted to see such strong progress on site. The whole development is taking shape now and with just over 500 days to go, we are well on track for completion."

Eng. Wael Al Lawati, Chief Executive Officer - Omran, added, "The laying of the first foundation stone at the Asian Beach Games site marks an important step in construction. With works progressing well, we are delighted to confirm that we are fully on schedule to complete site works on deadline next year."

He said, "The Asian Beach Games project in Mussanah is one of the most exciting developments currently underway in Oman and we are honoured to have the support of His Highness Sayyid Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said. We look forward to welcoming people from across the globe for the 2nd Asian Beach Games when the project is completed on schedule next year."

This will be the second Asian Beach Games following the inaugural event in Bali in 2008, with an estimated 5,000 athletes, officials, media and volunteers from 45 countries expected to participate. Development of the site is a major undertaking by Omran to create a world-class home for the Asian Beach Games - Muscat 2010, which will endure as a tourism destination long past 2010.

The one million square metre site in Musannah, one hour away from Muscat, features Olympic-quality sporting facilities, an athlete's village, a four star hotel, a 400-berth marina, a range of restaurants and retail facilities, and a bespoke man-made lagoon for the Games' water-based events.