English abstract
This research is aimed at understanding the regeneration process of the historic urban
fabric in the Sultanate of Oman and identifying the key stakeholders engaged in this
process. Through the case of Harat Al Aqr in Nizwa, this study was carried out to
answer the question 1- What is the current status of regeneration in Harat Al Aqr? 2-
What are the aspects that should be considered during the regeneration? 3- Who are
the key stakeholders in this process? And finally, 4- What is the process of heritage
regeneration of harat In Oman? In the effort of answering the research questions, 4
main objectives were planned to be achieved which are: 1- Documentation of the
transformation of the urban fabric in Harat Al Aqr. 2- Identify the aspects to be
considered in the regeneration process of the historic urban fabric in Oman.3- Identify
the key stakeholders involved in the processes of regeneration of historic urban fabric
in Oman. 4- Investigating the Process operational steps & stakeholders' involvement
within the process.
A mixed research methodology was implemented. It involved on-site surveys and
observations, questionnaires, the Delphi method, and semi-structured interviews. The
snowball and convenient sampling techniques were used to select the targeted
interviewees among the different stakeholders. A set of 25 experts consisting of
governmental officials, professionals in architecture, urban, and heritage fields, and
some of the local community actors participated in 2 round interviews to determine
the key stakeholders.
The results from the research procedure, particularly from the interviews and through
the Delphi method supplemented the system, created from the other literature reviews
on the same topic of study. The outcomes obtained all throughout the research process
assisted us to understand more about the stakeholders' engagement in the process of
urban heritage regeneration in Oman.
It is concluded that heritage development in Oman requires more interaction between
involved parties and further inclusion of stakeholders who currently have limited roles.
There is also a need to develop a well-structured rehabilitation process. And finally,
the integration of local community actions within the decision-making stage and the
process steps of heritage regeneration is a key factor in the success of any operation of
urban regeneration.
The limitations and implications of this research include but are not limited to: the
difficulty in finding experienced people in heritage fabric regeneration. Lack of
literature within the Middle East context especially in Oman. Limited knowledge
among the stakeholders concerning the issue of traditional Harat regeneration, since
this kind of development, is just currently raising in Oman.
