MIDDLE EAST – The second round of tendering for the new Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre is due to open soon, with several companies competing for the multi-million dollar project.
 
The project, floated in April, will build column-free exhibition halls with a total floor space of 22,000sqm, which can be divided into five halls.
 
According to the Times of Oman, an infrastructure package for building roads and underground cabling works linked to the convention centre project will be awarded after Eid holidays.
 
“A tender for building the [venue’s] second hotel will also be floated towards the end of the year. Thereafter, there will be continuous packages linked to the development of the convention centre,” said Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran) CEO Eng Wael bin Ahmed Al Lawati.
 
Tender for the first hotel will be floated by the beginning of next year, following a delay in the design.
 
Omran is the Oman government’s investment arm responsible for developing tourism infrastructure. It is planning to build the convention centre near Seeb to get a slice of the global exhibitions and conventions market.
 
The redeveloped convention centre is expected to give Oman its first space for large-scale international exhibitions and conferences. The first phase will be ready by 2015.
 
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