Oman to investigate causeway link with Masirah

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Oman’s Ministry of National Economy is to look in to the viability of a possible causeway linking Masirah Island with the rest of the sultanate.

Economy Minister and deputy chairman of the Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council, Ahmed bin Abdulnabi Macki told the Oman News Agency that His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said had given royal orders to his ministry to select the best expert in the field to study and find a suitable path to link the island and put forward related engineering designs.

Masirah is an island off Oman’s east coast, with a population of around 12,000 in 12 villages.

The island is 95kms long, 14kms wide and had a total land area of 649km². The population is centred in the north, and there is an Omani airforce base near the island’s principal village of Daawah. The island also has a fish factory.

The coastline is peppered with wrecked dhows, preserved by the salty water and high ambient temperatures.

The only access to the island is via Omani air force Hercules aircraft, or car ferry from Sana.

Macki said that his ministry will do its best to implement the orders of His Majesty the Sultan as soon as possible.