Veröffentlichung: Bet­ween Inclu­sion and Exclu­sion: The Poli­tics of Public Space in Mus­cat (By Martje Abel­mann and Ruweida Aljabali)

In Oman’s rapidly urbanizing capital, public beaches offer rare open spaces in an increasingly commodified city—yet subtle social divisions remain.

The Sul­tanate of Oman, loca­ted at the sou­the­as­tern coast of the Ara­bian Pen­in­sula, stands out for its remar­kable diversity—both geo­gra­phi­cally and demo­gra­phi­cally. The coun­try is bor­de­red by Yemen, the United Arab of Emi­ra­tes, Saudi Ara­bia, and the Ara­bian Sea to the south. The coast­line, which mea­su­res about 3,165 kilo­me­ters (Oman News Agency, 2026), plays a cen­tral role in the ever­y­day-life of its peo­ple. The­r­e­fore, public bea­ches can offer a par­ti­cu­larly reve­al­ing lens through which to observe Omani society’s inclu­si­vity and exclusivity.