Greater Muscat Joins Global Business Districts Innovation Club
Muscat, May 5, 2026 (ONA)
The Greater Muscat Master Plan has joined the Global Business Districts Innovation Club as the 15th member of the international network, and the first from the Middle East. This marks a new international achievement that reflects Oman’s growing presence on the global map of cities.
This membership represents a significant milestone, highlighting the advanced position that Greater Muscat has reached as a promising urban model that combines strategic planning, quality of life, sustainability, and the ability to attract investments and future projects. It also strengthens Muscat’s presence within a network that includes leading global business districts such as Paris La Défense (France), Chicago Loop (USA), Toronto Waterfront (Canada), and Liverpool BID (UK).
This international recognition is the result of efforts led by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning in developing the Greater Muscat Master Plan as a long-term strategic framework aimed at reshaping the capital, enhancing its global competitiveness, and improving the efficiency of its urban and economic infrastructure in line with national goals.
The membership reflects the strategic direction of the Greater Muscat Master Plan toward building a more productive, connected, and sustainable global city. This includes developing an integrated economic system comprising 15 specialized economic clusters, increasing the contribution of the non-oil economy, and establishing a modern urban transport network that supports sustainable mobility and quality of life—further positioning Muscat as a competitive urban center regionally and globally.
The Global Business Districts Innovation Club is one of the leading international platforms specializing in the development of commercial hubs and global urban districts. It includes a network of top business districts, urban planning authorities, development and management companies, as well as investors, experts, and specialists in urban development, urban economics, and innovation.
The club aims to enhance collaboration, exchange knowledge and expertise, and develop more competitive, sustainable, and investment-attractive urban models.
Joining this international network will strengthen Muscat’s global investment presence by providing access to a wide network of developers, investors, decision-makers, and international expertise in business district development. It also offers a global platform to showcase investment opportunities in Greater Muscat, promote its strategic projects, and attract high-quality partnerships that accelerate urban and economic development.
Furthermore, this membership enhances the credibility and attractiveness of Greater Muscat among international investors by positioning it alongside leading global business districts. This supports its competitiveness in attracting foreign investment, increases the global visibility of its urban projects in discussions and events related to the future of cities and urban economies, and enables it to benefit from global best practices in creating integrated and sustainable business environments capable of attracting international companies, talent, and long-term investments.
In its official welcome statement published on its website, the Global Business Districts Innovation Club noted that Greater Muscat’s membership represents a valuable addition to global discussions on urban renewal, governance, and large-scale development. It emphasized the importance of exchanging experiences among member cities to address shared urban challenges and develop innovative and sustainable solutions.
This achievement further strengthens Muscat’s position as a future-ready city capable of competing regionally and globally, and reflects growing international confidence in Oman’s urban vision for building more sustainable, resilient, and high-quality cities.
