Majid Al Futtaim, the UAE-based shopping mall and leisure developer, has announced the start of work on the Mall of Oman, a super-regional retail destination coming up in the sultanate.

Located at Madinat Al Ifran, the new central business hub being developed by Oman near the Muscat International Airport, the Mall of Oman is planned to be the largest retail project of its kind in the sultanate.

Scheduled to be completed by 2020, the mall will host an expected 350 outlets, with a retail space of more than 135,000sqm, the Oman Observer reported.

Amongst the planned major attractions at the Mall of Oman are: a giant snow park, a cineplex and the sultanate’s largest Abercrombie & Fitch apparel store, it added.

The mall will be constructed through a joint venture between contractors Shapoorji Pallonji Middle East and Consolidated Contractors Company Oman (SP-CCC). The JV was appointed as the main contractor for the project, while initial enabling works – part of phase one of the project – are being carried out by Sarooj Construction, a local Omani firm.

In addition to major earthworks and utility diversions, the contract will also entail the construction of road infrastructure, providing major access to site, which is just off the Muscat Expressway.