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Invest Oman has unveiled three tourism projects within Oman Botanic Garden in Al Khoudh, Seeb, including eco-lodges, a geo-adventure park, and a wildlife center.
It is part of a RO20 million ($52 million) push to broaden Muscat's tourism offerings while keeping conservation central.
What's happening?
In Al Khoudh, Seeb, Oman Botanic Garden is the proposed site for three Invest Oman tourism projects worth more than RO20 million, according to Muscat Daily. The proposals are designed to attract private investment while giving visitors more nature-focused experiences beyond traditional tourism sites.
Most of the spending would go toward a wellness retreat and eco-lodge development in the garden's Eastern Conservation Zone. The plan calls for 50 eco-lodges across 163.7 acres (662,610 square meters), with the built-up portion kept below 5% to help preserve the setting.
Under the proposal, each lodge would sit on a 16,146-square-foot (1,500-square-meter) plot and include 3,229 square feet (300 square meters) of built space, along with a private garden and plunge pool. Additional amenities would include hydrotherapy spas, yoga pavilions, nutrition and detox programming, organic gardens, nature trails, and elevated boardwalks.
Invest Oman estimates a return of 15.82% on overall investment and 21.66% on equity.
The other two proposals focus on outdoor adventure and wildlife. One is a geo-adventure park in Zone E covering 28.3 acres (114,651 square meters), with hiking, ziplining, rock climbing, fossil discovery zones, and geological simulation exhibits. The other is a wildlife center in Zone H spanning 153.5 acres (621,095 square meters), with plans for about 190 animals at its wildlife centre, including native species such as Arabian leopards, Arabian tahr, Arabian oryx, and marine turtles, Muscat Daily reported.
Why does it matter?
Tourism developments often raise concerns about land use, habitat disruption, and overcrowding.
However, these projects emphasize lower-impact design and environmental protection rather than expansion alone, and protected environments for native species like this are important to safeguard the future of important creatures.
Only a small share of the eco-lodge site would be developed, while the wildlife center's dedicated trails and viewing decks are intended to limit disturbance.
The projects could help diversify the local economy by broadening the city's appeal to wellness tourists, adventure travelers, and families seeking nature-based outings.
What's being done?
Oman is presenting the three concepts as investment opportunities, looking for private partners to build and operate them within the garden's sustainability framework.
Invest Oman said the plans are intended to align sustainable tourism with environmental protection.
This includes eco-lodges with a lighter physical footprint and boardwalks and trails that guide visitors through sensitive areas. At the wildlife center, veterinary and quarantine units, research buildings, and educational spaces would support animal care and conservation.
The geo-adventure park is also meant to combine outdoor recreation with fossil discovery and geological simulation exhibits.
If built as proposed, the three projects would turn one garden into a broader test case for low-impact tourism — combining hospitality, adventure, and wildlife experiences while still leaving room for the landscape and the species that depend on it to remain central.
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