Charles Dunst

Will Oman ever get over its empire?

It’s holding the country back, a century later

The outskirts of old Muscat, near the fishing village of Sidab. (Charles Dunst)

Muscat looks different than just about every other Gulf capital. There are neither skyscrapers nor demonstrations of obvious opulence. But at first glance, Oman doesn’t seem so different than some older parts of Dubai or Abu Dhabi. There’s money; there’s men in traditional, flowing garments and women in burqas; there’s beautiful buildings funded by oil profits.

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Written by
Charles Dunst

Charles Dunst is the author of Defeating the Dictators: How Democracy Can Prevail in the Age of the Strongman, published by Hodder & Stoughton on 2 February 2023.

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