Business & Finance Club - Oman : Omran, the tourism development arm of the Omani government, this weekend begun the handover of the site for the Asian Beach Games, which are due to be held in Muscat in December this year.

The site is on track for the final handover in November and last month Omran said 92.43 percent of the work had already been completed.

“Platform construction, marine works and the marina pontoon and access bridge have all been fully completed, with infrastructure and permanent structures almost finished,” Omran said in a statement at the weekend.

At an official ceremony on Friday, the first building to be handed over was the two-storey Games Command Centre, from which the Muscat Asian Beach Games Organising Committee (MABGOC) will manage the event.

“This has been a very challenging project. Only two years ago, this site was completely untouched. I would like to congratulate Omran staff and our partners for their dedication and determination in delivering the Games Command Centre on schedule,” said Wael Al Lawati, CEO of Omran.

“Omran has been trusted to develop this crucial project, which represents a significant and exciting opportunity for Oman. We will deliver it not only on time but also according to the highest standards,” he added.

Due to take place from December 8 to 16, the 2010 Asian Beach Games will be the second time the event has been staged, following the inaugural event in Bali in 2008.

Established by the Olympic Council of Asia and held every two years, the event will attract an estimated 5,000 athletes, officials, media and volunteers from 45 counties.

Following the end of the games, Omran plans to turn the site into a mixed-use residential, commercial and tourism destination.

The Asian Beach Games is the first of a series of sporting events the sultanate is looking to attract in order to raise its profile and increase tourism.

“The government is looking at more niche tournaments [and] the Ministry of Sports is assessing what sort of tournaments will make sense, the costs of bringing them here and the benefits for the country," Al Lawati said.