Al Raid to build giant shopping, entertainment hub in Oman

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Al Raid Group, a specialist developer of retail shopping malls and leisure destinations, is set to build The Al Araimi Walk, the largest shopping, entertainment and touristic destination in Oman, at an investment of RO112 million ($290 million), said a report.

The 240,000-sq-m Al Araimi Walk, which is located in Al Samahan, Barka region of the sultanate, will boast a four-star hotel, a business centre, an indoor water park, a large ski circuit and cinema besides virtual reality games and a kilometer-long walkway, reported the Muscat Daily.

The announcement by Al Raid Group follows the completion of the 135,000-sq-m Al Araimi Boulevard project in Al Khoudh new commercial area, it stated.

Al Raid Group also revealed that it has allocated $1 billion worth of investments in retail, leisure and tourism sectors over the next five years.

This investment plan began in 2015 with Al Araimi Boulevard, which is set to open this September. It will be followed by the opening of Al Araimi Walk projected in 2020, stated the report citing Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Araimi, the chairman of Al Raid Group.

The entire Al Araimi Walk has been designed by Toronto-based architects Design International in line with the highest international standards.

On the project's design, Design International said throughout the development, key characteristics and motifs of traditional local architecture are reinterpreted for the 21st century.

For example, the use of large, intricate skylight, composed of hexagonal modules which use extremely hi-tech material to recreate the shapes of traditional latticework in Oman; and the 400-m-long facade which is designed as an open colonnade to allow the fluid interplay of spaces within and outside the building, it stated.

The Canadian firm said nature has been woven throughout the interior of Al Araimi Walk, both in the choice of materials with their organic leitmotif, the selection of plants, and the creation of specific areas in the building that give form to defining aspects of the local surroundings, such as oasis, mountain and marketplace. This is eloquently described also in the colour palette of sand, it added.

Al Araimi Walk will be a destination that combines contemporary architectural design with modern architecture and interior design that demonstrates the picturesque nature of Oman, said the top designer.

The interior will have expansive spaces with water lakes and green trees topped by glass roof, to highlight the beauty of the place, and to give all visitors a sense of comfort and sophistication, it added.

On the new project, Al Araimi said: "The giant shopping, entertainment and touristic hub will also feature a selection of world-class restaurants, cafes, outlets of fashion and beauty; jewellery; antiques; gifts and perfumes, as well as entertainment halls, cinema, bowling halls, virtual reality games and a closed water park."

"Al Araimi Walk is the first outlet mall to be developed by Al Raid Group as a world-class brand for families, tourists and shoppers of all ages," he stated.

"The project is characterised by spectacular outdoor sessions and high-quality corridors designed to provide a comfortable environment for shoppers and visitors in a fun and thrilling atmosphere," noted Al Araimi.

It will also include a ski park, an ice-skating ring, an indoor water park, a trampoline park, the virtual reality complex, a family entertainment centre, a rock climbing slope and many other adventures, he added.