Muscat, Oman (NNN-ONA) : Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region, plans to open nine hotels in Oman by 2020.

The upcoming properties will add more than 1,600 rooms to its existing inventory of 400 rooms in the sultanate, taking the total tally to over 2,000.

Sheikh Salim bin Ahmed al Ghazali, chairman, Golden Group Holding (GGH) and Nasser al Nowais, chairman of Rotana, signed the pact for the 250-room hotel in Al Mouj, at a ceremony held on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai.

The signing ceremony was held in the presence of Maitha al Mahrouqi, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Tourism, and other dignitaries from Oman and UAE.

The new hotel project, Al Mouj Rayhaan by Rotana, will be located within the Al Mouj development in Muscat, which will also have two more hotels, a four-star Shaza Hotel and the luxury Kempinski Hotel. Al Mouj Rayhaan by Rotana will feature 250 rooms, suites and apartments, along with world-class amenities and services.

Located on the prime sea front and designed to meet diverse guest needs, the property is scheduled to open before 2020, a statement from the company said.

The management agreement for Al Mouj Rayhaan by Rotana, further strengthens the strategic relationship between Rotana and GGH. The two companies had signed an agreement for the development of five new hotels in Oman in 2015. “The agreement marks the continuation of our valued partnership with GGH,” said Nowais.

“As one of the fastest growing tourism and hospitality markets in the region, Oman has everything going for it – from a rich history and spectacular landscapes, to an increasingly diverse mix of top-class tourist attractions.

“Rotana has ambitious plans for the Omani market, with no less than nine hotels set to open in the sultanate by 2020. We are delighted to have a company of the strength of GGH as a key strategic partner in our efforts to transform Oman’s hospitality landscape and continue our company’s expansion in the region.”

He said, GGH is developing multiple hospitality, mixed-use and master developments, to accomplish a variety of tourism projects throughout Oman. “GGH, with its subsidiaries, Taameer Investment and Al Sedrah Real Estate, currently has 13 hotels in various stages of development – all managed by major international operators.”