Global bids invited to revamp Oman’s Majlis Al Jinn Cave

Muscat: A major international competition has been announced to revamp Majlis Al Jinn Cave.
The Ministry of Tourism’s contract to renovate the historic site in Wilayat of Quriyat is open to all companies, organisations and investors in Oman and abroad.
Majlis Al Jinn was discovered in 1983, and is believed to be the second largest cave chamber in the world. The volume of its chamber is in excess of 4 million cubic metres.
The only means to enter the cave is through the roof access points, by rappelling or BASE jumping to the cave floor which involves a drop of 118 to
158 metres.
A representative at the Ministry of Tourism told the Times of Oman that this was the second time a competition to select a company for the renovation work has been posted.
“We posted this competition around this time last year, but received only two applications. We felt that the standard could be improved with regards to developing the site, and therefore, decided to open up the competition again,” he added.
After opening the Majlis Al Jinn to the public in 2007, the ministry decided to restrict all future visits until it was officially developed as a cave that people can visit since there were some apprehensions about safety. As a result, a complete ban on BASE jumping was imposed.
“However, it is now envisioned that with responsible management, the resource may be utilised for certain selected tourism activities,” the ministry stated in its documents giving information about the cave.
According to the ministry, the cave is on a plateau 1,300 metres above sea level and, consequently, its temperature is cooler than surrounding areas. The temperature of the chamber within the cave remains constant at 16-17 degrees Celsius. “This would allow for year round tourist activities,” the ministry’s documents explained.
General rules for the competition include adhering to sustainable development principles and taking into account the natural values and heritage value
of the site.
The ministry’s representative expressed the hope that the proposal would attract more applications this time around.
“No cost is involved in receiving and submitting the application. It is open to all organisations around the world and offers a great opportunity to those with the expertise to take up the task,” he said.
The deadline for submitting the completed application is within seven months of the date of announcement. The ministry will decide the winner of the bid within a month of the deadline.
Complete bid information and bid documents are posted on the Ministry of Tourism’s website at:https://goo.gl/u66isA