Accent on maritime heritage - The decision by the government last month to convert Muscat’s Port Sultan Qaboos into a tourism and maritime heritage port augurs well for the city’s eventual transformation into a high quality destination with an authentic Arabian appeal.

Muscat is already the Sultanate’s top tourism draw — an appeal that’s set to burgeon upon the conversion of its historical and picturesque harbour into a tourism and maritime heritage hub.
It is envisaged that the port’s conversion will herald a greater inflow of cruise liner traffic into Muscat. Gone will be the cargo ships, presently a ubiquitous feature of Muscat port. In their place will be magnificent passenger liners — not one, two or three — as is currently the case, but perhaps half a dozen at a time.
Of course, some investments will be necessary in enabling several large ships
to call the port at the same time. Likewise, investments will also be required in customs, immigration and reception facilities capable of handling the thousands of passengers arriving on board large, modern cruise ships.
Also imperative will be investments in waterfront hotels, marinas and other entertainment and leisure facilities.
In fact, elements of a cruise tourism port are already in place at Port Sultan Qaboos. The Sultanate’s first Passenger Cruise Terminal was formally opened at PSQ early last year, offering visiting cruise passengers a significantly superior stopover in Muscat.
Set up with an investment of RO 2.7 million, the terminal features all of the amenities and comforts associated with international-class reception facilities for cruise passengers.
Muscat has also been witnessing a surge in cruise traffic in recent years. The port recorded a total of 62 ship calls during the first quarter of this year, up from 49 calls during the same period last year.
Around 215,000 passengers arrived on these cruise vessels this year, from 197,000 during the same quarter last year. PSQ has also attracted some of the world’s most prestigious passenger liners.
Muscat is also expected to serve as a home port for the expanding fleet of the state-owned National Ferries Company, which operates a high-speed ferry-based coastal transportation service.