Madinat Al Irfan is Muscat's new city district beside Muscat International Airport, home to the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, and in October 2026 it signed the deals for its first homes. If you searched for where it is, what is there and whether you can buy, the short answers are: next to the airport and Muscat Hills; offices, hotels and the OCEC are already open; and the first residential phase has just been signed, with prices still to come. This guide covers the location, the masterplan, the new residential projects and how to secure a position in the area today.
7m sq m
Masterplan area
About 700 hectares
~10,000
Homes planned
Delivered in phases
OMR 44.5m
First residential phase
Signed 13 Oct 2026
36%
Open green space
Central wadi park
Where is Madinat Al Irfan?#
Madinat Al Irfan sits on the land beside Muscat International Airport, on the western side of the capital area, with direct links to the Muscat Expressway. It is the district you drive through when you go to an event at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.
| Landmark | Relationship to Madinat Al Irfan |
|---|---|
| Muscat International Airport | Directly beside the district, a few minutes' drive |
| Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) | Inside the eastern district |
| JW Marriott Muscat and Crowne Plaza OCEC | Inside the eastern district, linked to the OCEC |
| Muscat Hills golf community | Next door |
| Muscat Expressway | Runs along the district |
| Al Mouj Muscat | On the coast near the airport, a short drive |
| Knowledge Oasis Muscat (Uptown Muscat) | Separate district in Al Rusayl, west of the airport |
That position is why the district matters: it is the one piece of large, flat, centrally connected land left between the airport and the city, and the government has reserved it for a planned city rather than piecemeal plots.
The masterplan#
Madinat Al Irfan is master-developed by OMRAN Group, Oman's tourism development company. The plan, drawn up by London architects Allies and Morrison after an invited competition, covers about 7 million square metres:
- Around 10,000 homes, delivered in phases
- About 36% open green space, organised around a natural wadi that becomes the central park
- Roughly 15 km of cycling trails
- Office districts, hotels, retail and civic uses alongside the homes
What is already built (the eastern district)#
The first phase, in the eastern district, is the business and events quarter, and most of it is open:
| Asset | Status |
|---|---|
| Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre | Open. Five exhibition halls (22,000 sq m), a 3,200-seat auditorium and a 450-seat theatre |
| JW Marriott Muscat | Open. 304 rooms, linked directly to the OCEC |
| Crowne Plaza Muscat OCEC | Open |
| Omantel headquarters | Complete, 98,505 sq m, LEED Platinum |
| OQ headquarters | Complete, 44,125 sq m |
| Business Park, phase three | Three Grade A office buildings, handover planned for Q1 2028 |
That matters to any future resident or landlord: the employers, the hotels and the events calendar arrived first. Homes are now being added to a district that already has daily demand.
The first residential phase: October 2026#
On 13 October 2026, OMRAN signed agreements with Grova Developments, the real estate arm of Egypt's Hassan Allam Holding, to launch the district's first residential phase:
| Project | Value | Builder |
|---|---|---|
| Residential neighbourhood | OMR 29 million (~USD 75m) | Hassan Allam Construction |
| Branded residences | OMR 15.5 million (~USD 40m) | Hassan Allam Construction |
| Total | OMR 44.5 million (~USD 115m) |
The same signing round included a separate OMR 78 million resort and residential deal at Yiti, bringing OMRAN's agreements that day to more than OMR 122 million.
Unit counts, the brand behind the branded residences, prices and the sales date have not been published yet. In new Gulf districts, the first homes released are often the best-priced ones a buyer will see, because the developer is establishing the address. That is the reason to be on the list before the price sheet goes out.
Get first access to the Madinat Al Irfan residential price lists
We will send the first price list, unit mix and payment plan for the new Madinat Al Irfan homes to your WhatsApp the day they are released, plus available homes next door in Muscat Hills in the meantime.
Can foreigners buy in Madinat Al Irfan?#
A freehold home here would support Oman's sponsor-free Owner residence permit, and a property worth OMR 200,000 or more can qualify for the 10-year Golden Residency. The Golden Residency guide has the full rules.
Is Uptown Muscat in Madinat Al Irfan?#
No, and this is the most common mix-up in searches for the area. Uptown Muscat by WUJHA Real Estate Development is inside Knowledge Oasis Muscat in Al Rusayl, Oman's technology park west of the airport. It is a separate freehold project with its own first phase, Ivy Town, and entry releases reported from the low OMR 40,000s. If you want a new freehold apartment near the airport on a smaller budget, it is worth comparing. See the Uptown Muscat project page.
How to buy into the location today#
Because homes inside Madinat Al Irfan are not on sale yet, buyers who want this location now usually look next door:
| Option | Type | Entry point | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golf Hills, Muscat Hills | New 1- to 3-bed apartments, freehold | From about OMR 62,900 | Off-plan, Q4 2028 handover |
| Muscat Hills resale | Apartments, townhouses, villas, freehold | About OMR 800 per sq m | Ready, rentable now |
| Madinat Al Irfan first phase | Neighbourhood homes and branded residences | Not yet released | Signed October 2026 |
Muscat Hills already earns about 6.0% gross on our latest index, and as Madinat Al Irfan fills with homes, offices and services, the established community next door is the one that benefits first from the new amenities on its doorstep. Many buyers do both: buy in Muscat Hills now, and register for the first Madinat Al Irfan release.
Arabic summary (ملخص بالعربية - مدينة العرفان، مسقط)#
تقع مدينة العرفان في مسقط بجوار مطار مسقط الدولي، على طريق مسقط السريع، وبجانب مجمع مسقط هيلز. تضم المنطقة الشرقية منها مركز عُمان للمؤتمرات والمعارض وفندقي جي دبليو ماريوت وكراون بلازا، إضافة إلى المقرين الرئيسيين لعمانتل وأوكيو. يغطي المخطط العام نحو 7 ملايين متر مربع، ويستهدف قرابة 10,000 وحدة سكنية، مع تخصيص نحو 36% من المساحة للمساحات الخضراء حول حديقة الوادي المركزية.
في 13 أكتوبر 2026 وقّعت مجموعة عمران اتفاقيات مع شركة جروفا للتطوير، الذراع العقارية لمجموعة حسن علام، لإطلاق المرحلة السكنية الأولى: حي سكني بقيمة 29 مليون ريال عماني ومشروع مساكن تحمل علامة تجارية بقيمة 15.5 مليون ريال عماني. لم تُعلن الأسعار وموعد البيع بعد. يسوّق المطور الرئيسي المنطقة بنظام التملك الحر بنسبة 100%. أما مشروع أب تاون مسقط فيقع في واحة المعرفة مسقط بالرسيل وليس داخل مدينة العرفان.
Bottom line#
Madinat Al Irfan is the planned city at Muscat's front door: the airport on one side, the OCEC and headquarters offices already open, and the first residential phase signed in October 2026. Homes inside the district are not priced yet, so the smart sequence is to register for the first release and, if you want to own in the location now, buy next door in Muscat Hills, where new and resale freehold homes are available today.