Swedish-based furniture company IKEA is set to open its flagship store in Oman this June.
The store will be located in Al Taher Group’s Oman Avenues Mall in Muscat.
Covering two levels and 25,000 square metres, IKEA Oman is operated in the region by Al Futtaim.
Aligning with Oman’s Green Agenda to reduce waste and conserve energy and natural resources, IKEA is placing sustainability and ecological living at the forefront of its opening.
The store’s cooling system will operate on electronically commutated motors that run on an alternate current power supply, improving efficiency by 30 per cent compared to traditional methods of air conditioning.
Condensation from cooling systems will be returned to sustain the mall’s landscaping.
To reduce energy consumption by 70 per cent to 80 per cent, the IKEA store will be powered by LED bulbs.
“Al Futtaim IKEA’s first store in the Sultanate of Oman reflects our commitment to making sustainable living affordable and accessible, while creating a better everyday life for the many people,” said Vinod Jayan, managing director of IKEA’s UAE, Egypt, Qatar and Oman divisions.
“As part of the Al-Futtaim Group, we live by the same ethos of enriching the lives and aspirations of our customers at every turn and we aim to do this for our customers across Oman.
“We are now closer to our Omani customers and are confident that the experience and home furnishing ideas we provide at IKEA will inspire our customers to refresh their homes,” Mr Jayan said.
By 2025, IKEA aims to design products to be reused, refurbished and recycled to promote the concept of circularity. At present, IKEA recycles 90 per cent of its dry operational waste globally each year.
The store will also house the iconic IKEA Restaurant, seating 394 diners.
In keeping with their objective to promote healthy and ecological living, the IKEA Restaurant carries ingredients certified by international sustainability schemes The Aquaculture Stewardship Council and UTZ.
IKEA Oman will also implement its Click + Collect services, allowing customers to purchase items online and collect them in-store, providing a faster and simpler shopping experience.
