MUSCAT, JUNE 14
Muscat Municipality has begun construction work on the Muttrah Square project, an award-winning waterfront development designed to reshape the historic district’s urban identity and strengthen its appeal to visitors.
The municipality announced the start of building work this week, describing the scheme as a qualitative addition to the capital’s urban landscape that will reinforce the wilayat’s spatial identity and highlight its cultural and aesthetic character.
Muttrah Square won first place in the inaugural Bilarab bin Haitham Award for Architectural Design in 2022, a competition open to Omani architects, designers and urban planners under the age of 35. The square was designed by Ahmed al Jahdhami, Omaima al Hinai and Abdullah al Bahri.
The project’s centrepiece is a striking pedestrian bridge, shaped like a bird in flight, drawing inspiration from the sword of Imam Al Salt bin Malik al Kharousi. Positioned above the sea opposite the Muttrah Fish Market, the bridge is designed to frame some of Muttrah’s most iconic sites while connecting the various elements of the project.
The bridge will be surrounded by a multi-use plaza that includes a dancing water fountain, retail spaces, cafes, and lighting designed to complement the natural rhythm of the sea waves. The scheme is intended to create a new public gathering space along the corniche.
The construction contract worth RO 8.959 million covers site preparation, including earthworks and groundwater extraction, construction of the pedestrian bridge, two wings housing commercial units, installation of the fountain; rainwater drainage and core utilities; and landscaping and public amenities.
The project is being delivered under Royal Directives issued by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik directing the municipality to implement the Muttrah Square project.
Once complete, Muttrah Square is expected to become a prominent architectural and tourism landmark in the capital, adding to a waterfront that already features the redeveloped Muttrah Fish Market and corniche.
