MUSCAT — Students from International College of Engineering and Management and German University of Technology in Oman visited the construction site of Al Madina A’Zarqa (previously known as The Blue City), the most significant tourism and real estate project in the Sultanate of Oman and the Middle East.

The purpose of the visit was to enrich students’ academic experience in the area of facilities management with a field visit to a construction site where they could gain first-hand knowledge of how the various sectors of the economy can contribute to developing tourism in a real-life example.

The visit also highlighted the importance of occupational safety on site, especially in large projects such as Al Madina A’Zarqa – which has until now recorded two million man hours without injuries and over 500 hours without a loss time injury (LTI).

The students were received by representatives from the marketing department of The Blue City Company 1, the special purpose vehicle incorporated to oversee the management of Phase I of the development, and officials from AECO Development LLC, contractors of Phase 1.

Keenan Perdier, in-charge of health, safety and environmental training on site, briefed the students on occupational safety and how the project is being developed with no injuries among workers.

The students then attended a video presentation for a prototype of the new city, which will be home to 200,000 people who will live, learn, relax and play in surroundings that combine traditional elements with features of a modern upcoming city.

The students were impressed by the modern design of a complete city, designed by leading architects Fosters & Partners, which when completed, will house research institutes, a university, retail outlets, hospitals and recreational facilities such as a PGA standard golf course.

Al Madina A’Zarqa will also house a number of five-star hotels and over 5,500 luxury apartments and villas overlooking some of the most beautiful beaches in Oman.

Reem bint Hamad Al Bulushi from International College of Engineering and Management said: “The video presentation demonstrates how magnificent this integrated project is, where you can find everything one could ask for, from schools and hospitals to universities, shopping malls and recreational facilities. A resident of this city will not need to leave for shopping as everything will be available in this modern city.”

When asked about her knowledge of Al Madina A’Zarqa prior to her visit, she said she knew about the project from newspapers and magazines, especially when she read about the project receiving the ‘Best Concept Design’ prize at the Middle East Architecture Awards earlier this year, which she said made her proud about the project and Oman.

Commenting on the safety topics explained to the students by the health and safety training manager, she said that made her gain information about health and safety that she was not aware of before.

Al Anoud Ahmed Al Ayisari said: “Frankly, what we have seen in the video presentation about Al Madina A’Zarqa is beyond description. It will attract real estate and tourism investments into the Sultanate, and it will directly contribute to driving the engine of the economy and growth in the tourism sector. Additionally, it will shift the interest of many families that usually seek leisure and travel outside the Sultanate.”

She said the impression she had about the project before her visit was simply that it was just another tourist project, but after the visit she said her impression had completely changed, and that it was a truly new project that would create a complete city in every meaning of the word.

Faisal bin Abdulrahman Al Bulushi commented: “I gained a lot of information and I am amazed by this huge project being born in Oman, which in my opinion, will change the tourism map in the Sultanate – if not at the level of the whole region – with the range of services that will be offered to its residents.

“Omanis are lucky to have this kind of project developed in Oman.”

Commenting on the occupational safety presentation, he said these were important issues for any institution or company, adding that, “we will benefit a lot from them whether while studying or after graduation, because safety at the place of work is an essential matter”.

“As for occupational safety, no doubt it is very important, and we will seek this in our future careers. We have learned much today about occupational safety and health at the work place, especially in projects of this size, which has achieved two million man hours without any injuries.”

Lovelyn, a student, said: “Al Madina A’Zarqa is among the largest resort and investment projects in Oman, and that the visit was a good opportunity to better know the project.”

“The purpose of this visit was to get acquainted with new projects coming up in Oman, including this large project which I believe is different from any other project in the Sultanate. The video presentation has given me a vivid image of this city that will be developed in Oman in the coming period,” she added.

Commenting on the two-million man hour safety record, she said it was a cause for pride in the project, and that at the same time it showed the level of concern for workers’ safety on the part of its management and their pursuit of an environment conducive to a timely and smooth completion of the project.

Reem bint Mosab Al Harithi said the purpose of the visit was to get acquainted with this vital project and this forthcoming city.

“It is also primarily a tourist and investment project, and it is related to my specialisation, which is regional and tourism management.”