Continuing Muscat’s rich tradition as a historic port city,  the Al Khuwair development is informed by local culture, with the marina acting as the cornerstone of the project, catering to residents, visitors, and tourists. It will feature a range of attractions while emphasising green spaces and public realm along the waterfront, including destination dining experiences, luxury retail outlets, health and wellness facilities, hotels, and residential spaces.

MoHUP and ZHA have worked with global engineering, design and advisory practice Buro Happold to implement a materials strategy with specific interventions to assist with climate and coastal resilience, including mitigating any ‘urban heat island’ effects, stormwater management and breakwaters. It prioritises material reuse, including recycled construction materials and responsible sourcing, and buildings within the Ministry campus will be retrofitted and reused through a programme of refurbishments.

Throughout the compact and walkable development, Transport-Oriented Development principles encourage use of public transportation with good connections to transit services underpinning smart mobility, including light rail transit, bus rapid transit and water taxis. Pedestrian activity is encouraged by introducing passive shading and cooling to the public realm, alongside cycle infrastructure to improve the safety and usability of active transport modes, while capitalising on the carbon savings of minimising private vehicle use.