Foster + Partners, in collaboration with Dar Al-Handasah, has revealed the master plan for Al Najd Agricultural City in Dhofar, southern Oman. Covering approximately 54 million square feet, the development is conceived as a self-sustaining agricultural and urban settlement designed to respond to the region's environmental conditions and agricultural landscape. Commissioned by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources, the project forms part of the objectives outlined in Oman Vision 2040, which seeks to strengthen food security, diversify the national economy, and support sustainable development initiatives.
Located on fertile agricultural land in the Al Najd area, the master plan draws on the historical relationship between agriculture and settlement patterns in Oman. The proposal is organized around a compact urban center surrounded by a network of agricultural plots ranging from 10 to 200 hectares in size. These productive landscapes are distributed across the site through a multi-scalar planning strategy, extending beyond farmland into parks, public squares, courtyards, and linear green corridors. The integration of agricultural functions into civic and public spaces establishes a framework in which food production and urban life are closely interconnected.
The urban core is designed to accommodate a projected population of approximately 13,000 residents and support the creation of 6,500 jobs. A network of shaded pedestrian routes connects residential areas with educational, healthcare, cultural, religious, and commercial facilities, while public transportation infrastructure is incorporated throughout the development. The master plan also positions the city within a broader regional network of agricultural operations and logistics systems, aiming to strengthen food production and distribution capacities across southern Oman.
Agricultural production is structured around crop varieties selected for their suitability to local climatic conditions and economic potential. Planned cultivation includes date palms, greenhouse-grown vegetables such as tomatoes, and industrial crops used for raw material production. In addition to farming activities, the project incorporates facilities for agro-processing and value-added production, including the processing of dried and frozen foods, oils, compost, and fertilizers. These activities are intended to support local supply chains while expanding opportunities for agricultural exports.
Environmental performance is addressed through a series of integrated technological and resource-management systems. The proposal includes the use of shade nets to regulate solar exposure and temperature, agrivoltaic systems that combine renewable energy generation with agricultural production, and aquaponic technologies designed to create closed-loop cultivation systems. Water resources are sourced through a combination of groundwater extraction, runoff collection from nearby mountain ranges through dam infrastructure, and desalinated seawater. These systems are supported by monitoring technologies and irrigation strategies intended to optimize water use and reduce resource consumption.
In other recent news from Foster + Partners, the practice revealed updated designs for Two World Trade Center in New York, the final commercial tower planned for the World Trade Center site, and the future headquarters of American Express. The studio also unveiled plans for a new sculpture garden adjacent to Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, centered on the renovation of three historic Amsterdam School pavilions. In Angola, Foster + Partners collaborated with the Ministry of Transport on the masterplan for the Icolo e Bengo Aerotropolis, a large-scale development surrounding the newly completed Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport.
