Construction work on the terminal for the New Muscat International Airport will be completed by the end of the year, the Omani Minister of Transport and Communications has said.

Speaking during a visit to the new airport site, Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Salim al Futaisi said that work on the MC3 package was 91% complete and that the ministry and relevant authorities expect to receive the project from the contractor by the end of 2016, the Omani Daily Observer reported.

The minister added that the operational readiness team would begin their work soon, with trial runs and other training processes likely to take up to six months.

Futaisi pointed out that in excess of 20,000 workers were currently employed on the site, saying he was “optimistic about the completion of all construction work for this important package at the airport project by the end of the year.”