A big investment into Oman, one of the Gulf states, is being made by Majid Al Futtaim, the developer and owner of shopping malls and the Magic Planet FEC chain.
Its MAF Leisure will operate a string of new locations as a result of the parent company’s upcoming plans. MAF will invest US$1.3bn in Oman over the next four years and the plans include the development of the huge Mall of Oman, which will contain a Magic Planet FEC.
It will also open other shopping malls with entertainment outlets at City Centre Sohar, My City Centre Sur and another phase of its Al Mouj development. All will carry Magic Planet FECs and big Carrefour supermarkets, for which MAF holds the Middle East and Africa rights, plus VOX cinemas.
The Mall of Oman will be the biggest investment, $714m, and will be the largest integrated retail, leisure and entertainment outlet in Oman, with 350 shops in 137,000sq.m of retail space, plus a Carrefour hypermarket and hotel with nearly 300 rooms.
The entertainment facilities will include the country’s first snow park covering 8,000sq.m, a major edutainment centre and the largest VOX cinema as well as a Magic Planet.
Also coming up this year is the Mall of Egypt, another MAF project, with a Magic Planet, and in its home territory of Dubai, MAF will open a 5,000sq.m mall in the city’s Al Barsha district.
