The Sultan of Oman, Qaboos Bin Said, officially opened a major housing project on Monday (19 November) at Oman's newest city, Medinat Qaboos.

The project, which was inspired by and named after Sultan Qaboos, is being developed by both Omani and international companies.

Upwards of 1,000 homes are envisaged with villas and apartments available both for sale and for rent. There will also be a commercial centre to create a self-contained community.

The developers say the have made careful use of the existing land features and have incorporated the best of both local and western architecture styles.

On his visit to the site, Sultan Qaboos was presented with a symbolic golden key to the city before inspecting some of the new buildings.

SYNOPSIS: The accommodation ranges from simple family apartments to five-bedroomed luxury villas with servants' quarters.

The designers say the have made careful use of the existing land features and have incorporated the best of both local and western architecture styles.

The Medinat Qaboos development is an indication of the rapid progress in Oman since Sultan Qaboos came to power in 1970.