Following its decision in January to pick up a 5% stake in the Crowne Plaza Hotel project – a four-star development coming up on the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) premises, Al Batinah Development and Investment Holding Co has now decided not to go ahead with the investment due to the imposition of additional running costs on project fees. In January, the board of Al Batinah Development agreed to invest OMR656,000 in the capital of Destination Hotel Management Co, a subsidiary of Omran - which owns the Wadi Irfan Crowne Plaza Hotel project. The hotel is currently under construction and is expected to start operation in 2017. (Muscat Daily)