- Date24/05/2021
Mawaleh Central Fruits and Vegetables Market to shift to Khazaen Economic City, Oman
In a move that is aimed to boost Oman’s wholesale vegetables and fruits industry, the current central market in Mawaleh, Muscat will shift to a bigger, more advanced new facility in Khazaen Economic City.
An agreement in this regard was signed in Muscat by Eng. Issam Saud Al Zadjali, President, Muscat Municipality and Eng. Kalat Ghuloom Al Bulooshi, Chairman, Khazaen Central Fruits & Vegetable Company, and Eng. Salim Suleiman Al Thuhli, CEO of Khazaen Economic City.
F&M Middle East was commissioned to carry out the Concept Masterplan and Pre-Concept Architectural Layouts.
The new Khazaen Central Vegetables and Fruit Market, is planned to be three times the size of Al Mawaleh facility with provision for future expansion, will have facilities such as cold and dry stores, main wholesales halls, truck sales area, shaded areas for sorting and sale of onions and potatoes, agricultural inspection areas, office spaces for operating companies, forklifts servicing, electrical charging stations, vegetables and fruit sorting yards, several gates for customs inspection for Vegetables and Fruit, laboratory for testing agricultural samples under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, and multiple gates for entry of trucks.
In addition to support services, such as banking, a 250,000 m2 central truck parking area, mosque, supermarkets, PRO offices, and restaurants among others. The new market will also have retail outlets to cater to individual customers from surrounding areas.
The market shift will ensure more organized, well-planned, fully air-conditioned, and spacious market with ultra-modern facilities for wholesalers and buyers, which will translate to a lesser heavy vehicle traffic entry on Muscat’s roads.
It will also boast of ample parking spaces for shoppers. The new market will serve as one-stop hub for the retail and wholesale of fruits, vegetables in Oman by consolidating importers, exporters, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers in one central destination.
World-class infrastructure and facilities will replace the current Mawaleh Central Fruit and Vegetable Market as the Government has decided to have only one central market to be in Khazaen Economic City. Muscat Municipality is planning to convert the current Mawaleh Market to be dedicated for retail, commercial and tourism related activities which will be announced following the complete relocation of wholesale activities to Khazaen.
Works on the new market is expected to start in the first quarter of 2022. The new market will provide integrated logistics solutions for cold and dry storage, in addition to state-of-the-art supporting facilities like storing, packaging, handling, and transporting of food products.
Khazaen Economic City is one of the most significant projects that will help in boosting Oman’s logistics sector. The new market is aimed at improving the operations, efficiency and quality in the vegetables and fruits sector, to which Khazaen will play the role of a key contributor as a strategic infrastructural and services hub.
