Oman Announces Ambitious Plans for 100,000-Person “Smart” City

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Oman has unveiled ambitious plans for the creation of a cutting-edge “smart” city just outside its capital, Muscat. Known as Sultan Haitham City, this innovative urban development will span an impressive 14.8 square kilometers (5.7 square miles), making it roughly equivalent in size to Beverly Hills but accommodating nearly three times as many residents.

The visionary project revealed by the US-based architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), encompasses a comprehensive master plan. It will feature 20,000 homes, a university, schools, healthcare facilities, and mosques, catering to the diverse needs of its future inhabitants. Situated on a largely undeveloped site in Al-Seeb, located several kilometers west of Muscat, the city is poised to a manual training school and a new city hall. Rindge’s vision took shape under the guidance of the esteemed architectural firm Longfellow, Alden & Harlow, and in 1890, the new City Hall, located at 795 Massachusetts Avenue, proudly rose.

This majestic structure boasts a magnificent front lawn, a balcony adorned with a panel displaying Rindge’s chosen inscription, and a towering spire that stretches nearly 160 feet into the sky. Its construction showcases a harmonious blend of Longmeadow brownstone, granite, and red brick. The City of Cambridge embarks on a 15-month façade restoration project for City Hall, a project become a beacon of modern urban living.

Construction on this transformative endeavor is scheduled to commence next year and will unfold in four distinct phases. The initial phase, slated to run until 2030, will focus on the development of the city center, covering 5 square kilometers (1.9 square miles), and the creation of six poised to preserve its historic allure. Notable among the restoration tasks is the gilding of the clock tower, a masterpiece crafted by the E. Howard Watch & Clock Company of Waltham. Remarkably, this clock, an original feature of the building, has faithfully ticked for over a century and is still wound by hand each week.

The comprehensive restoration effort encompasses masonry repairs, meticulous cleaning of the masonry, rejuvenating window panes, modernizing the tower’s lighting, installing lightning protection, and replacing the flagpole. Construction is expected to commence in the fall of 2023, following the bidding process. out of the 19 planned neighbourhoods. The project’s ambitious final phase is expected to wrap up in 2045.

SOM, the driving force behind this innovative urban vision, has highlighted that Sultan Haitham City will prioritise vibrant public spaces, high-quality yet affordable housing options, and smart urban mobility solutions.