Oman’s $175mn Botanic Garden is said to be on track for completion by the end of 2023. The project, which is billed as a first of its kind for the country, is being delivered by more than 700 multidisciplinary engineers and dedicated designers.
The development is being led by the Diwan of Royal Court in Oman, and aims to celebrate the unique plants, landscapes and cultural traditions of Oman. According to ARUP, who is said to have had 600 of its engineers involved in the design, the project will feature eight habitats and, occupying some 430ha, it will stand as one of the largest botanic gardens in the world.
The project is taking shape between the mountains and wadis of the Al Khoudh area in the Wilayat of Al Seeb and is approximately 35km from Muscat.
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Once it opens to the public, the garden will show-off all the native plant species of Oman in a series of naturalistic habitats from the dry deserts to the rich monsoon cloud forests. The garden will also showcase the traditionally cultivated crops and the many ways that people use plants in Oman, said a report by the Oman Daily Observer.
In June 2021, the project achieved a major construction milestone, when the first structural arch of the garden’s Northern Biome was lifted into place.
The garden will consist of the following key components: nursery, visitor center, research center, field studies center, outdoor habitat gardens, habitats pavilion, northern mountain biome, southern mountain biome, demonstration garden, and a variety of amenity areas, play spaces and family zones for fun and relaxation in a garden setting that is unique to Oman.
All the materials used in the construction of the Oman Botanic Garden will be environmentally sustainable. The vision of this project is to inspire people to preserve biodiversity and enhance Omani plant heritage for a sustainable future, the report noted.
In early August, Oman’s Rakiza received a capital commitment of $298mn from Saudi Arabia’s PIF.