OMAN. WHSmith, in partnership with the Ajit Khimji Group, has captured three concessions covering seven stores at the new Muscat International Airport passenger terminal, which is scheduled to open in late 2017.
The move builds on WHSmith’s presence in News, Books and Convenience (NBC) at airports across the Middle East. WHSmith already has airport stores in the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman. The current Oman store is located in the existing Muscat Airport terminal.
The new concessions cover 5,972sq ft and consist of five NBC stores, one Landside Express by WHSmith convenience store and one Memories of Oman souvenir store. The souvenir store will be the first under WHSmith’s ‘Memories Of’ concept in the region. The WHSmith Express store will also be the first of its format to open in the Middle East.
Oman Airports Management Company CEO Aimen bin Ahmed Al Hosni said:
“This comes as part of a series of announcements by the company about the institutions that will be present at the new airport, which we expect to open soon.”
Al Hosni said that OAMC was confident that the new facility would be among the best international airports and said it would contribute to both commerce and tourism in the Sultanate.
Al Hosni said that the company was keen to establish and build cooperation with a variety of local and international companies, contributing to the Sultanate’s strategy of economic diversification.
WHSmith International Director Louis de Bourgoing said:
“We are delighted to be able to expand our business at Muscat International Airport, bringing new concepts and formats to the region. Muscat was our first overseas business in our recent international expansion and is special to us. Oman is a country we particularly like and we have a terrific partner in the Ajit Khimji Group, with whom we intend to build yet stronger ties.”
Rishi Khimji, Managing Director of Ajit Khimji Group, added:
“We have a long standing association with Oman Airports Management Company and this win is a reiteration of their faith in our ability to deliver world class products and services to the discerning travellers in Oman. WHSmith is one such sterling example.”
