A century-old choice created one of the Gulf’s oddest geopolitical features
The Gulf villages of Madha and Nahwa are a rare example of a double enclave
THE BUSIEST petrol station in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), one local jokes, is not in the UAE. Head south from Khor Fakkan, a town on the country’s east coast, and a right turn takes you across a near-invisible border (see map). There are no police posts or customs checks, only a small sign welcoming you to Oman—and queues at the filling station, where a litre of petrol goes for 62 cents. Across the street, and across the border, it costs 18% more.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Double bubble”
Middle East & Africa January 14th 2023
- After eight dismal years, Nigeria prepares to replace President Buhari
- Ethiopia’s war in Tigray has ended, but deep faultlines remain
- Kenya’s blood shortage and the kicking of an aid addiction
- Protests have subsided in Iran, but clerics cannot yet proclaim victory
- A century-old choice created one of the Gulf’s oddest geopolitical features
- The Arab world’s rulers have turned journalists into courtiers
From the January 14th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Middle East & Africa
America concludes genocide has been committed in Sudan—again
The move highlights the magnitude of Sudan’s civil war but does little to end it
Lebanon tries yet again to elect a new president
But it will not be easy to convince its corrupt politicians to reform
The West is making a muddle of its Syria sanctions
Outsiders should be much clearer about how and when they will be lifted
Alawites formed Syria’s elite. Now they are terrified
Fear of reprisal stalks the heartlands of the Assad regime
From inside an obliterated Gaza, gunfire not a ceasefire
In north Gaza the IDF is now facing “a bitter guerrilla war”
Mozambique’s opposition leader flies home into chaos
Will Venâncio Mondlane’s arrival on January 9th deepen or ease political crisis?