Jumeirah Group, the global hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, has signed a management agreement with Saraya Bandar Jissah SAOH to operate a luxury resort in Muscat, Oman.

The resort is currently under development and is expected to open in 2017, said a statement from the Dubai hospitality giant.

When complete, the Omani resort will have two hotel components, one consisting of 206 rooms and the other of 106 rooms, located in the picturesque cove of Bandar Jissah, near Qantab, nestled between the Hajjar Mountains and the Gulf of Oman.

The Saraya Bandar Jissah SAOH resort lies 15 minutes south of the city centre and 40 minutes from Seeb International Airport.

The overall development will include a 1,200 sq m Talise spa, a dive centre, a wide range of sports and leisure facilities, a selection of restaurants, bars and cafes and a kids club.

The resort will also include conference and banquet facilities to cater for Oman’s growing attraction as a destination for conferences, meetings and large scale events.

The resort forms part of a larger development that includes high-end residential townhouses and villas, taking advantage of some of the most beautiful, unspoilt coastline in the Middle East, said a senior official.

Hamood Sultan Alhosni, the CEO of Saraya Bandar Jissah SAOH, said the luxury resort would be a major contribution to the high-end hotel market in the Sultanate.

"Given the reputation that Jumeirah has in the region, we are confident that, when complete, the property will attract discerning travellers who are familiar with the level of luxury that Jumeirah offers throughout its current portfolio of hotels," he stated.

Jumeirah president and CEO Gerald Lawless expressed delight at being selected by Saraya Bandar Jissah to operate the resort in one of the most beautiful parts of Oman.

"As we continue to expand the Jumeirah brand across the Middle East, we bring our exceptional quality of service to loyal guests in new markets, helping them to discover the very best in luxury hospitality and the beauty of emerging destinations like the Omani coastline,” he noted.

The group currently operates 22 luxury hotels and serviced apartments, including 11 in the Gulf region, six in Europe and five in Asia. A further 15 hotels are now under development, he added.-TradeArabia News Service