Departure of one of the shareholders and the reaction to it, urged me to repeat my personal views about this enterprise.

I still think the single most important thing for this to take off is its own sustainability. Price of oil, ISIS threat, Sultan’s health, are all very important, but I am ABSOLUTELY sure investors will fight to buy into an amazing development built on $700mil worth of prime Omani coastline, but ONLY, AND ONLY IF THAT DEVELOPMENT CAN MAKE MONEY.

Who wouldn’t?

In order to figure out that, we will have to know exactly:

1. How many houses are going to be built there, how many flats, villas, hotels, what star rating, office space, retail units, and so on?

2. How is that all going to look like?

3. Is the ratio between residential/office/retail space acceptable at this point of time (considering The Wave and similar new developments in the area)? There is maybe a case for a larger shopping centre?

4. Can Cultural Quarter support itself, or would it need some kind of subsidy?

5. And so on, and so on.....

In order to do that, master planning, conceptual design and market analysis will have to be completed, financial construction produced (based on the new data), and fully scrutinised. If the figures are bad, there is no point to go further anyway, but if everything fits into place .......

Therefore, I am urging Management to raise money by any available means, sign contract with CCC, sell shares, beg, steal, sell your soul to the devil if needed... and organise this as soon as possible.

Time is running out. We deserve to know.