Muriya, the important developer of fully integrated towns that include hotels, private villas and apartments, leisure facilities such as golf courses, marinas and supporting infrastructure, has unveiled the upscale Jebel Sifah town – a stunning 100-berth marina looking over the spectacular Gulf of Oman. The inland facility was presented during a special soft-opening gala held back in March, 2012, that also revealed Muriya’s ambitions to position Jebel Sifah as a much sought after lifestyle destination and leisure hotspot on Muscat’s shore.

Jabel Sifah Marina

Styled on the lines of the world’s most trendy anchorages, the new marina will serve as a vibrant hub for yachters, recreational boaters and others with a penchant for nautical adventure. Marinas the world over have been key drivers of yacht cruising, aqua sports, regattas and a wide spectrum of water-based activities with major spinoffs for employment generation and the local economy. As the latest addition to a growing network of marinas along the Sultanate’s picturesque shoreline, Jebel Sifah’s magnificent pier will play a key role in developing Oman as a new epicentre of nautical tourism in the region. A formal launch of this exciting facility is planned in the near future.

To celebrate the event, Muriya hosted more than 300 guests for an afternoon of festivity amid the resort’s luxurious facilities and magnificent waterfront setting. The celebrations began with an innovative ribbon-cutting that saw the organisers ditch the traditional pair of scissions for a nifty boat whose bow snipped the ribbon as it gently glided into the resort’s modern marina.

An afternoon of delectable entertainment then followed, with musicians and DJs taking turns to serenade the gathering and created a memorable waterfront atmosphere. The guests were taken on a tour of Jebel Sifah exposing them to the high degree of luxury, elegance and comfort that awaits buyers of freehold residential units.

For Muriya, the soft opening of the marina marks yet another major milestone in the development of a world-class tourism and residential scheme at Jebel Sifah. Designated an Integrated Tourism Complex (ITC) by the Ministry of Tourism, Jebel Sifah boasts all of the elements that make for an iconic development. Framed by the imposing summits of the Hajjar mountain range, Jebel Sifah is spread over 6.2 million square metres of scenic waterfront edged by white sand beaches. In addition to the marina, the ITC will also include an 18-hole PGA golf course, marina town, freehold villas and apartments and hotels operated by highly reputed global hospitality brands, namely Four Seasons hotels and resorts, Banyan Tree Hotels and resorts and Missoni in addition to the existing boutique hotel, Sifawy. Significantly, the marina soft-launch is the first of several major events lined up by Muriya during the course of this year.

A water taxi service now makes the roughly 40-minute ride to the resort an even more pleasurable experience. Guests can make bookings in advance for a seat aboard the modern 20-seater tourist craft that shuttles between Marina Bandar Al Rowdha and Al Sifah at fixed schedules.

In fact, Al Sifah’s emerging importance as a tourism and leisure hub has been acknowledged at the highest levels of government, with His Majesty the Sultan recently issuing a Royal directive for the upgrade of the road linking Yiti with this destination. Under the directive, the 26km road will be upgraded into a modern, all-weather carriageway with street-lighting to ensure safe, speedy, convenient and comfortable road connectivity with Al Sifah.

For Muriya, the marina launch heralds a period of heightened focus on the brand’s principal resort developments in Oman. Chandra Lahiri, CEO of Muriya commented, “We are truly delighted by the excellent turnout for the unveiling of our marina that will add a whole new dimension of recreation and leisure to our resort. Given Jebel Sifah’s proximity to the capital city and its tourist attractions, we anticipate a strong uptake of the marina’s facilities not only from the local market, but from international yachters and boaters as well.”

Bahaa Hefzallah, Marketing Director of Muriya Tourism Development added, “Several major milestones will flow from the marina opening particularly as Muriya intensifies its focus on the development of both ITCs in Salalah and Muscat. Indeed, 2012 will be an important year for us as we leverage the brand’s strengths and the unique appeal of both destinations to attract more clients and visitors to Oman’s newest lifestyle developments.”