Sultan Haitham City: A Buyer's Guide
Updated October 11, 2026 · By Waleed Al Abri, Real Estate Advisor
Short answer
Sultan Haitham City is a new city the government is building in Al Seeb, west of central Muscat. It is planned for 100,000 people and 20,000 homes.
Sales started in 2024. More than 1,700 units were sold by April 2026. The first part of the city is expected to open in 2026.
Foreigners can buy, but only in the projects the ministry has named for foreign ownership. The Minister put the investor price at about OMR 900 per square metre.
The official numbers
The city has 19 neighbourhoods and 2.9 km² of green space, including a central park along a wadi. The master plan is by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning leads the project. Private developers build the neighbourhoods under agreements with the ministry.
Looking at Sultan Haitham City?
Send me your budget and your nationality on WhatsApp. I will tell you which projects you can buy in, and the current price.
Send on WhatsAppWhere it stands in 2026
- • Construction started in February 2024. By April 2026, more than 1,700 units were sold to buyers from more than 35 nationalities, and investments passed OMR 2.4 billion.
- • In April 2026, bridges were about 75% done, infrastructure about 40%, and power stations about 94%.
- • Phase 1 runs 2024–2030 and covers the city centre. The ministry's page now shows 2027 for the completion of Phase 1. Phases 2 to 4 run to 2045.
So most of the city does not exist yet. If you buy now, you are buying an early phase of a long plan.
What it costs
The Housing Minister said in February 2026 that investors pay about OMR 900 per square metre. Eligible Omani families pay about OMR 400, with state support.
One example with public prices: a studio at Wadi Zaha was OMR 42,000 for 50 m² in May 2025, and OMR 54,705 for 54 m² in September 2026. That is about 21% more per square metre. Details and sources are on my off-plan price tracker.
I do not list rental yields for Sultan Haitham City. Very few units are finished and rented, so any yield today is a guess.
Who can buy, and residency
- • Foreigners: only in designated projects. In June 2026 the ministry confirmed that foreign ownership stays limited to named areas, and listed Sultan Haitham City among them. That does not mean every building in the city. Ask which title a project gives before you book.
- • GCC citizens: buy under the GCC rules.
- • Residency: Sultan Haitham City has its own residency rule, set by the Ministry of Housing for the future cities and Surouh projects: once 30% of the price is paid, the buyer can apply for a two-year renewable residency, before handover. At OMR 50,000 or less it covers the buyer only; above OMR 50,000 it covers first-degree family too. It needs a separate security clearance, so ownership does not guarantee it. Ask before paying the 30%. I could not find the official text online; the rule is reported by trade press and by developers. Full guide: Oman residency by property.
Location and transport
- • In Al Seeb, Muscat Governorate, west of central Muscat
- • Next to the Muscat Expressway and Sultan Qaboos Street
- • About 22 km in a straight line from Muscat International Airport
- • A Muscat Metro line from Sultan Haitham City to Ruwi is planned. There is no start date yet.
Sources
- Oman Observer, Housing Minister on the city plan (20 Jun 2023)
- MEED, more Sultan Haitham City details (20 Jun 2023)
- CNN, the SOM master plan (17 Aug 2023)
- Oman Observer, units signed in the first year (27 Jul 2024)
- Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, project page
- Oman Observer, first phase to launch this year (24 Feb 2026)
- Muscat Daily, investments exceed RO 2.4bn, 1,700 units sold (13 Apr 2026)
- Gulf News, foreign ownership stays in designated areas (28 Jun 2026)
- Gulf News, the Muscat Metro plan (30 Jun 2026)
- EnterpriseAM, residency incentives in Sultan Haitham City (30 Sep 2026)
Checked 11 October 2026. If you see something here that is wrong or old, tell me on WhatsApp and I will check it.
Waleed Al Abri
Real Estate Advisor
Waleed Property - Founder & Principal Advisor
Focus areas:
Waleed works with foreign and GCC buyers in Oman's property market. Most of the work is the part non-Omani buyers get stuck on: which areas allow foreign ownership, the difference between ITC freehold and usufruct, whether a property gets you residency, and how off-plan payments are protected.
Covers: Al Mouj Muscat, Sultan Haitham City, designated foreign-ownership areas, and residency through property.