Maid Al Futtaim’s lifestyle and leisure destination in Oman, Al Mouj Muscat, has announced that they are investing in environmentally friendly strategies, as advocated in the Oman 2024 Vision.
This is aimed at delivering long-term benefits as it increases competitiveness in the market, stimulates innovation and reduces negative pressure on the environment, the company said.
Al Mouj Muscat is located along a six km coastline in the heart of Muscat, with properties having access to green spaces, walkways, waterways, retail and F&B outlets, a marina, and a Greg Norman-designed 18 hole links golf course.
Commenting on the announcement, Nasser bin Masoud Al Sheibani, CEO of Al Mouj Muscat, said that the adoption of the eco-friendly practises is a key pillar in the destination’s strategy to build a cost-effective, sustainable community and become a world-class tourist destination.
“Our considerable efforts to conserve the biodiversity in our residential developments, golf course and marina have helped garner international attention and interest from the tourism sector and are also in line with Oman’s own sustainability strategic direction.”
“Al Mouj Muscat’s commitment to preserving the environment was recently highlighted in our participation in the G-Cubes global clean-ocean initiative but has always been clearly evident in our construction practices, constant conservation efforts covering land and sea, and certifications from international environmental bodies,” Al Sheibani added.
G-Cubes are garbage cubes, which is an initiative where ocean waste is compressed into 10 sq. cm cubes held together with resin. These cubes can be used for any purpose or are displayed at exhibitions or sold to raise funds for ecological causes.
In addition, AL Mouj Marina was the region’s first to have a ‘Seabin’- a floating debris-interception device, designed to direct rubbish such as plastic bottles, bags, or even microplastics to the surface of the water and into the bin.
Meanwhile, Al Mouj Golf has been recognised by international bodies for its efforts to protect the environment. The Golf Environment Organisation (GEO) has recognised the lifestyle and leisure destination for its commitment to continually improve the environment.
One of the sustainability practices appreciated by the GEO was Al Mouj’s sustainability practise of re-naturalising key areas of the golf course and to conserve biodiversity and natural habitats and the golf course is now home to more than 170 species of birds, the company said in a statement.
Al Sheibani said that if everyone follows the guidelines set out in the Vision 2040 for creating a circular, green economy, Oman could become an example for the world.
“It is our collective responsibility to protect the splendour and diversity of Oman’s natural environment and to implement formal, practical measures to ensure this happens,” he concluded.