On Mizingani Road (the main seafront), overlooking the sea, this large building has a plain façade and is fairly featureless apart from the beautiful set of carved wooden doors. These have been decorated in the Arab Style with fish, lotus and anchor chain motifs. Hamoud, grandson of sultan said, was proclaimed sultan here in 1896. In 1995 the customs house was renovated with funds provided by Unesco, the United Nations Cultural Organisation.

The equally large building next door to the Customs House was formerly Le Grand Hotel and then became a private house before being abandoned. A group of developers have long-term plans to convert it into a hotel once again.