A large scale leisure complex is to be built in Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman, by 2010.

Moevenpick has just signed an agreement with Orascom Hotels & Developments - the owning company behind this huge building project, for the management of a 5-star hotel. The Mövenpick Resort & Spa Salalah is scheduled to open in 2009 and represents an important step in the growth plans of the Swiss international hotel chain.

Salalah, which is located in the southern Omani province of Dhofar, close to the Yemen border, has made a name for itself founded on its glorious past, fascinating natural environment, delightful sandy beaches and unique cultural heritage. Today Salalah is also an important element in the booming economic growth of the Sultanate of Oman.

The new tourist project is to be built in the heart of a tropical garden and around artificial lagoons directly on the Arabian Sea. The 9.5 million sqm leisure complex is to include an 18-hole golf course, a first class marina, several choice hotels, outstanding restaurants, 550 villas and 600 apartments as well as prestigious retail outlets. Orascom Hotels & Developments has already completed a similar project at El Gouna at the Red Sea in Egypt, where it is also working successfully with the Swiss hotel group.

"We're delighted to have signed another management contract with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts for one of the hotels to be built at the complex," says Claude Chesnais, Managing Director of Hotel Operations Orascom Hotels & Developments. "The hotel group's strong presence in the Middle East and the portfolio of successful Mövenpick Resorts will certainly help us to establish Salalah as an upscale leisure destination."

"The example of El Gouna shows that high standards of product and quality are as important to Orascom Hotels & Developments as they are to us," explains Andreas Mattmüller, Senior Vice President Middle East Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. "We are proud to be a part of this unique project and of working alongside such a strong partner."

The Mövenpick Resort & Spa Salalah is situated in a prime beach-front location and has 400 spacious rooms and suites. The extensive culinary choice includes a Mövenpick Hotel Restaurant serving a variety of buffets, a seafood restaurant, a Lebanese speciality restaurant and several bars.

The range of leisure and relaxation facilities available to guests includes a multitude of sporting activities, swimming pools, and a luxury spa and health centre. There is a Kids Club for toddlers and young children, and boutiques for their parents to shop. Several meeting rooms, a banquet hall and a business centre provide the ideal setting for events of all kind.

"The Sultanate of Oman was one of the few remaining places in the Middle East in which we were keen to establish our presence, and so we're particularly delighted about this significant step in our extension strategy," confirms Jean Gabriel Pérès, President & CEO Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. "The new hotel and the Salalah destination are certain to delight our guests, particularly those from our main markets of Europe and the GCC countries."