Dubai-based Majid Al Futtaim has opened its largest venture in Oman, the Mall of Oman.

The 260-store mall is the company’s fifth in the Sultanate and includes Snow Oman, which it says is the largest snow park in the region, a 15-screen Vox Cinema and 45 restaurants -with 15 more to come this year.

Majid Al Futtaim said it has invested OMR 705 million ($1.83 billion) in the kingdom in shopping malls, communities and other retail ventures including Carrefour stores, generating 42,000 direct and indirect job opportunities.

Snow Oman, which features a series of snow-based rides, is the company’s third sub-zero temperature venture in the MENA region, following Ski Dubai, which opened at Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates in 2005, and Ski Egypt in Mall of Egypt, Cairo, which opened in 2017.

The agreement to develop Mall of Oman, featuring an investment of OMR288 million ($748 million) was signed by Majid Al Futtaim Properties and Muscat Municipality in December 2013.

According to Refinitiv data, the project was designed by Aecom Middle East. The contractors included Sarooj Contruction as well as a JV of consolidated contractors, Co. Oman and Shapoorji Pallonji Middle East.

(Writing by Imogen Lillywhite; editing by Seban Scaria)

imogen.lillywhite@lseg.com