Industry veteran James Wilson takes helm as Oman seeks to further diversify economy away from oil dependence
Oman Tourism Development Company, better known as Omran, has announced the appointment of James Wilson as its new CEO.
The newly appointed CEO will lead the company on its mission to contribute to Oman's growing tourism industry, a sector that has seen an increasing focus by the government as part of its economic diversification efforts, a statement said.
Wilson joins Omran with more than 25 years of experience in the tourism, real estate and hotel development sectors.
His experience includes developing and acquiring some of the most prestigious tourism destinations across Europe, the GCC and Africa, including the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai and The V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa, the statement added.
The appointment comes as Omran enters a new phase of development with a renewed mandate on the delivery of unique tourism destinations and innovative urban projects across the sultanate.
Following recent restructuring, the executive management of Omran has taken a number of strategic steps that allow room for further growth and new developments, according to the statement.
On Monday, Oman said it was planning a 500 million rial ($1.3 billion) waterfront development around Port Sultan Qaboos in the capital Muscat will be 51 percent state-owned through Omran, with the remaining 49 percent held by private investors.
Since its establishment, Omran has a growing portfolio of projects including a world-class sports venue in Mussanah‚ the sultanate's flagship business development project - the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, as well as large joint venture developments such as Saraya Bandar Jissah and Ras Al Hadd.
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