Wael Al Lawati: The moment you wake up and open your curtains, you have a water view

First of all, can you tell us a bit about Oman and especially Salalah, in case our readers don’t know much about this wonderful place?

Oman is the furthest eastern point of the Arab world. It’s extremely peaceful and politically stable, so investors and buyers are very comfortable considering it as their investment destination. Salalah is in the southernmost point of Oman. It's an incredible destination in terms of natural beauty. We’ve got green mountains, waterfalls and a beautiful coastline of the Arabian Sea connected to the Indian Ocean. Historically, it was the port from which Frankincense, the gift of kings, used to be exported around the world. You can take a hike or visit local villages, and try Omani food. The closest town to us is less than 10 minutes away. Other significant locations are about 30 to 40 minutes.

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What sets Salalah apart from other GCC destinations?

Salalah is not reliant on a single season. Between roughly mid-June and mid-September, we have what we call the Kharif, which is the autumn season. It’s the very light monsoon effect, leading to drizzle, light rains, fog, and very dreamy weather throughout those three months. This period is especially loved by tourists and investors from the GCC countries. Then things slow down, and the classical beach season starts with all its water activities. That’s when a lot of Europeans start coming. Thanks to these two different segments of tourism, we enjoy a high demand for at least 10 months of the year.

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What’s the history behind the Hawana Salalah community?

Hawana Salalah covers 13.5 million square meters of land and 7 kilometres of natural beach. Over the past 15 years, we have been developing its infrastructure, including the beautiful hotels and the marina. Now, we have approximately 1200 hotel rooms and a mix of residential offerings: apartments, villas, and so on. They're all secondary homes that people buy to go and spend time with their loved ones during summer and winter. Every property is close to the water and offers a luxury resort lifestyle. Regarding the tourists, we run at extremely high occupancies because Salalah has about 11 flights a week that come to fill our hotels. Today, 103 countries don't need visas, we have an excellent new international airport, and so on.

So all people who buy property in Hawana Salalah basically live at the resort, right?

Yes, the moment you wake up in the morning, and open your curtains, you have a water view of either the beach, the water canal or the marina. The moment you walk out, you're in the resort, so you can go to one of the hotels for lunch or for spa treatment. You can go to the marina if you have your boat there or rent a boat. You can go out for deep-sea fishing or diving or just enjoy the water or the various water sports. You can go to the water park and have some fun with your kids. It's all about a relaxed, slower lifestyle, clean air, beautiful breezes, and the beach.

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How similar is the purchasing process compared to Dubai?

We have freehold ownership areas, you get a residential visa when buying a property, and your down payment goes into an escrow account in a government-approved bank, just like in Dubai. The only difference is our registration fee of 3% – the same thing as DLD in Dubai – is paid on completion of the unit, not upfront.

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Hawana Salalah is a master development by Muryia, so everything here is done solely by one company, right?

Yes, this land was granted to Muryia by the government. The government is our partner through the tourism development arm Omran. The other strategic Muryia partner is Orascom Development, the company that is listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange and has an impressive portfolio in Oman, Egypt, Switzerland, Montenegro, Ras Al Khaimah, and the UK.

‍Thinking about the last couple of years, do you see a price growth in the secondary market?

The resale market in Hawana Salalah is not very active. We have a lot of investors interested in buying something ready to move in, the owners generally just don’t want to sell. So I guess if someone decides to sell, they won't have any problem.

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What kind of property is available in the new phase?

Amazi spreads over a million square meters of land and offers approximately 500 units, mostly 2-4 bedrooms. Everything is very low-density and is very competitively priced: a chalet on a water canal starts from $190,000. It’s really not expensive for the waterfront compared to Dubai, or any other destination with similar features. And don’t forget the excellent finishing, the white goods, the air conditioning and everything. You get the keys, and you can move in.