MUSCAT : Muscat Governorate is well known for its infrastructure and architecture, which combines modernity with the country’s cultural identity, a combination that marks Muscat out from other cities that have lost their cultural identity as result of concrete blocks and paved roads. Muscat has focused on creating a healthy living environment through green spaces and natural areas with urban expansion. Thousands of metres of natural green spaces, perennial trees, walkways and pristine beaches have been created, all contributed to enhance comfort for citizens, visitors and tourists. Muscat’s example shows that the governorate, and its municipal sector, focused on four main elements that make it a healthy city that enhances living conditions, including walkways and parks, horizontal urbanisation, beaches, and general cleanliness.

1. Walkways and Parks :

Muscat is well known for its public walkways and parks, which enhance the city’s quality of life by offering residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy time in nature, communicate with family and friends or exercise and walk after a full day’s work. During the blessed renaissance, large areas of walkways, green spaces and parks were constructed near urban infrastructure. They include the Mutrah Beach walkway, which borders the Sultan Qaboos Port, the Mutrah Traditional Souk and the surrounding mountain range. This walkway offers a stunning view of the sea, ships and mountains, which gives it a unique identity. The Muscat Municipal Sector developed this place with seating areas, cafes and a walkway along the seawater. As well as, The Qurum Beach and Walkway is for sports or walking lovers to relax away from the city. There is also Al Mouj Marina Walkway in Seeb in the Al Mouj area, and a walkway in Al Amerat for fitness enthusiasts that offers running and cycling tracks.

These facilities encourage the public to walk and exercise outdoors, which improves blood circulation and reduces diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart diseases. Additionally, these facilities create appropriate conditions for people to meet socially and reduce isolation.

The Municipal Sector of Muscat Governorate has launched efforts and initiatives as part of its ‘Green Muscat’ initiative, to create a green landscape in the governorate. These efforts resulted in 2,730,446 square metres, which includes nearly 20,000 palm trees, seasonal flowers and various other trees. In collaboration with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Muscat Municipality inaugurated the Fins Beach Park in Quriyat and implemented the Hail Al Ghaf Park project in Quriyat.

The green landscapes and buildings accompanying the beaches encourage residents to go outside in nature, or to join the family for events and nights. Trees preserve the city’s air quality by introducing fresh oxygen into the air, and offering stunning views that beautify Muscat’s urban, modern architecture.

2. The Horizontal Expansion:

Muscat’s strategy of horizontal expansion, instead of vertical, enables the naked eye to see a long horizontal extension, and airflow between buildings and the natural light. It has improved the quality of life in Muscat and attracted praise from several personalities and organisations. For example, Dr Abdul Hafeez Abdulsalam from Libya, who visited Muscat in 2024, and the Indian writer Sunil Vaidya ‘The city’s skyline is not crowded with skyscrapers’ in his article in Gulf News 2019.

The horizontal expansion facilitates easy reach to all regions without driving long, congested distances between high buildings, depending on internal elevators, or walking between complex apartment subdivisions. This approach controls the population density in each geographical area, with fewer floors and a middle population density. It contributed to easier traffic and walking, reduced congestion, offered the residents loyalty, and a safer city, particularly during emergencies such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires.

3. The Clean Beaches:

Oman is blessed with more than 3,000 kilometres of coastline, with beaches and mountain ranges that that offer Oman a tourism, economic and health advantages. Muscat Governorate includes many beaches such as Qantab, Fins, Al Qurum, Al Bustan and the Seeb Waterfront. Muscat Governorate, representing its municipal sector, has benefited from these beaches by paving roads to facilitate visits of residents and tourists, establishing walkways, green spaces and outdoor sports tools, offering places to street vendors, and organising carnivals and events that continue all year. These factors have attracted residents and tourists, encouraging spending time outdoors for rest, relaxation, swimming, playing, and water activities such as diving and boating.

4. Muscat Cleanliness:

Famous for its cleanliness, Muscat is recognised as a city without visual distortions. Lonely Planet’s travel guide praised Muscat’s clean and “well-kept” streets, parks and public places in its guide to Oman. Muscat is a model for combining urban development with environmental sustainability, making it “an attractive and pleasant destination for tourists and residents”. The National Geographic also highlighted Muscat for its environmental and cultural diversity, including its cleanliness and commitment to sustainability.

      Public hygiene is an indicator of residents’ awareness to preserve health, as reflected by throwing waste in proper places and participating in continuous environmental volunteering initiatives. The youth efforts joined the initiatives of Muscat Governorate and its municipal sector by continuous cleaning of the facilities, streets and beaches, safe waste disposal, drainage networks, and strict regulations that preserve public cleanliness. The city’s cleanliness makes Muscat an environment that promotes public health and is an inspiring sample.