Oman Botanic Garden

The Oman Botanic Garden originated in a 2006 royal decree (No. 6/2006) issued by Sultan Qaboos bin Said. The chosen site lies at Al Khoud, on land belonging to Sultan Qaboos University, about 35 kilometres from Muscat. Work began in 2007 with the native plant nursery, completed in 2008 and in continuous operation ever since: for more than a decade it propagated and held the plants intended for the future garden.

The masterplan was entrusted to a team led by the engineering firm Arup, working with Grimshaw Architects and the interpretive designers Haley Sharpe Design. Buildings and landscapes were delivered in phases between 2021 and 2025, and on 15 December 2025 the project was declared complete and handed over to Muscat Municipality, which still had to settle operating arrangements before opening to the public.

On 31 March 2026 a royal decree issued by Sultan Haitham bin Tarik (No. 44/2026) designated the site a nature reserve administered by the municipality. In May 2026 four buildings, including both biomes, received LEED Platinum certification. In July 2026 Invest Oman presented three eco-tourism projects to be developed around the garden, among them a wildlife centre for species such as the Arabian oryx and Arabian leopard.

The site sits about 100 metres above sea level on an ancient seabed at the foot of the Hajar Mountains and covers some 420 hectares according to Grimshaw and Arup, or 500 hectares according to the 2025 completion announcement. Buildings were tucked into existing ravines and ridges to limit earthworks.

The most sensitive plants are housed in two glazed, climate-controlled biomes: the Hajar Mountains Biome, recreating the habitats of the northern mountains with their ancient farming terraces, and the Dhofar Mountains Biome, which encloses the lush forest sustained in the south by the khareef monsoon. Passive and active shading, UV control, cooling and integrated irrigation work together. The Dhofar biome scored 86 LEED points, the highest recorded in Oman. The site draws power from more than 11,000 solar panels covering 52,000 m², and a treatment plant recycles around 618 m³ of wastewater a day for irrigation.

The garden displays only plants native to Oman, many found nowhere else, with priority given to endemic and threatened species. The 2025 completion report gives about 1,450 species. The nursery holds some 70,000 plants, one of the largest documented collections of Arabian flora, backed by a seed bank of around five million seeds and a herbarium of 1,800 specimens. Outside the biomes, open-air habitats represent the country's wadis, deserts and salt flats. Arup built a digital model in which every individual plant has its own database record.

The garden lies at Al Khoud in the wilayat of Seeb, roughly forty minutes from Muscat International Airport. It includes a visitor centre, a deserts pavilion, a research centre and what the Omani press describes as the country's first cable car. Before completion only pre-booked groups and school parties were received; since the December 2025 handover, arrangements for general public access rest with Muscat Municipality and should be checked before travelling. The milder winter months are the most comfortable time to explore the outdoor habitats.