Dubai: Muscat Municipality has issued a warning to residents of the city, informing them that they could face fines ranging from OMR 50 to a staggerin 5,000 Omani riyals (Dh47,696 or $12,986) and even imprisonment for up to 6 months if they hang their clothes out to dry on balconies, local media reported.
The notification, which was issued on Wednesday, reminded residents to abide by Article (32) of Local Order No. 92/23, which regulates the organization of buildings in the Governorate and outlines the requirements for drying laundry on balconies.
The Municipality stressed that municipal laws prohibit the hanging of laundry on balconies without the installation of covering elements. Clothes must be covered by one of two elements: a “Mashrabiya” or wooden mesh with perforations no more than 1.50 cm x 1.50 cm wide, or a concrete openwork with perforations no more than 7 cm2 and a depth of at least 10 cm.
Furthermore, any residential building with more than 3 units must provide a balcony for each unit, depending on the architectural conditions of the unit, and these balconies must be covered with one of the approved covering materials or elements. The use of metal mesh as a covering element is prohibited.
Violation of these regulations will result in a penalty, as stipulated by Article No. 14 of Muscat Municipality law. Residents who hang laundry on their balconies could face a fine ranging from 50 riyal up to 5,000 riyals, or imprisonment for a period of not less than 24 hours and not more than 6 months. The Municipality emphasized that these measures are necessary to maintain the aesthetic urban facade of Muscat.
