MUSCAT: The much-anticipated Muttrah Cable Car project has successfully completed a major international safety inspection and certification process, bringing it closer to operational readiness and its official launch.
Khalid al Nabhani, CEO of Sabeen Group and owner of the project, told the Observer that the first stage of safety certification, carried out by an international organisation specialising in cable car safety and security assessments in Europe, has been successfully concluded.
“The first stage involved an international organisation that certifies execution and conducts safety inspections. We recently concluded this process successfully. We will soon submit these documents to the relevant government authorities for review,” Al Nabhani said.
The project will be operated by a company called Muttrah Teleferik. No date has yet been fixed for the commencement of operations.
Al Nabhani confirmed that construction work across all three stations has been completed, while selected retailers are currently setting up their outlets.
With Oman having limited previous experience with cable car systems — the other project being at the Oman Botanic Garden (OBG) in Al Khoud — international expertise was brought in to establish and verify the project’s safety framework.
“There were no specific local standards to follow, but the contracted company brought a dedicated department for this exact purpose,” Al Nabhani said.
He said the certification involved several rigorous stages aimed at ensuring operational readiness and safety. The project met the European standards set by specialists in the field and subsequently secured preliminary approvals from various government entities and project consultants.
According to Al Nabhani, specialists carried out an extensive examination of the infrastructure, inspecting “every single millimeter” using advanced diagnostic technology.
“They used specialised diagnostic tools — some of which we were seeing for the very first time. For instance, imaging equipment similar to medical scanners in hospitals was used to verify structural compliance,” he said.
The project will now move to the next stage of approvals, involving final inspections and clearance from the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority (CDAA), followed by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and Muscat Municipality.
The cable car system will operate across three stations — Sultan Qaboos Port Station, Mountain (Summit) Station and Hayy Al-Ward Station. Plans for the area around Hayy Al-Ward also include the development of fountains.
The stations are designed to incorporate family, entertainment and cultural attractions as part of the overall visitor experience.
The standard cable car cabins will accommodate eight passengers each, while VIP cabins will have four seats.
A total of 18 cable cars will operate on the system, including two VIP cabins designated for special purposes.
