Lulu begins rebuilding Sohar outlet burnt in riots

Muscat: A prominent outlet of the Lulu Hypermarket chain that was destroyed by rioters in the industrial port city of Sohar at the height of a wave of protests in the sultanate last February is currently being rebuilt, according to the property's owners.

Lulu's Sohar outlet was set ablaze by a rampaging crowd in one of the worst acts of violence that shook the largely tranquil sultanate during protests earlier this year.

The property, located at Sohar's Globe Roundabout — which was the epicentre of the protests — was looted in a pre-dawn attack that shocked the nation.

On Monday, Lulu's managing director, Yousuf Ali M.A., announced that reconstruction work on the outlet has commenced. Speaking at a news conference to mark the opening of the chain's newest outlet at Nizwa in the Interior Region, he said the Sohar hypermarket would be operational within 12 to 16 months.

The GCC chain has so far opened ten outlets across Oman and plans to launch a couple of more properties before year-end. The managing director also emphasised the group's commitment to creating employment for Omani nationals.