Over 42 days, Ruweida connected with staff and students across SCD’s departments, sat in on classes from Design Sociology to Design Technology, mentored architecture students, and got to know Oman well beyond the campus — from film screenings in the city to camping trips in the desert.
But it was one particular place that sparked the research at the heart of her stay: Athaiba public beach. Stretching more than five kilometres along central Muscat’s coastline, it’s a lively shared space for families, sports, sunsets, and social gatherings. As Ruweida puts it in her report:
“Our research began with a curiosity to understand how people use and inhabit the Athaiba public beach. This curiosity brought us together as a team.”
Working as an international team, she and her colleagues combined observations and interviews to explore how people socially, culturally, and artistically shape this space — and what it reveals about accessibility, community, and social sustainability in the city. Along the way, they also encountered a pressing local tension:
“We also know that the coastline in Oman is generally public, but the issue of privatisation is starting and impacting the accessibility to the beach.”
With interviews conducted and observations mapped, the research is now moving into its next phase — and we’re excited to see where it leads. A huge thank you to Ruweida for her curiosity, dedication, and the rich exchange she brought to the project!