National Ferries launch new Muscat service

Oman’s National Ferries Company (NFC) will launch a ferry service from Muscat port linking Bandar Al Rowdha, Bar Al Jissah, the Wave and Jebel Sifah as the Gulf state looks to boost its revenues from tourism. The firm said it planned to launch the service before the end of the year, the Times of Oman reported, citing the managing director of Orascom Marina Management. “They [National Ferries] are interested in starting a ferry service linking these projects, which will be fantastic. We are talking to them,” said Philip Jones, Oman is ramping up its investment in tourist attractions as it aims to draw 12m tourists to the country by 2020. Several projects, including a US$1bn resort in Salalah and a $1bn conference centre in Muscat, are nearing completion. Tourism last year accounted for 2.6 percent of its GDP. The Gulf state in February said it is studying 30 locations around the country to look at their potential to be developed into tourism resorts and attractions. Locations such as the Al Hoota, Majlis al Jinn and Suhoor Caves are being looked at for potential tourism development. Plans are also in the pipeline for the construction of an archeological park and a museum at the recently discovered Friday Mosque in Qalhat which was built around 1300 AD.