Following the Wind: From Masirah to Mozambique

A group of women from Oman and around the world came together on Mozambique’s Inhaca Island for The Female Collective, a 10-day kitesurfing experience held in collaboration with Beyond XP.
Held from September 17 to 26, the trip brought women of different nationalities and riding levels. Time on the water was accompanied by yoga, mobility and wellbeing activities. Each rider arrived with her own goals, while the island offered a chance to experience unfamiliar conditions within a wider female kite community.
For the Omani women taking part, the journey reflected their growing thirst for adventure and extreme sports, with women stepping boldly outside of their comfort zone. From beginners to riders with years of experience, women are now flying as high as the men on Oman’s waters.
“Our idea is to create a movement that brings women together through sport, while promoting wellness and wellbeing. We want to encourage more women to become active, explore different sports and feel supported as they progress on their own journey,” said Johanna Mueller, one of the organisers and founders of Khareef Kiteboarding, a kitesurfing school in Oman.
For Khulood Yaseen, travelling to Inhaca meant taking her first kite trip outside Oman. “I was really anxious at the beginning, with all the travelling and everything, especially as this is my first kite trip outside of Oman. But I’m so glad I came,” she said.

“There’s also a little bit of home here, with kiters and friends we already know,” Khulood added. “As a female kiter, it’s also been really nice having so many women together on the water, sharing tips, encouraging each other and helping each other progress.”
Lying off the coast of Maputo, Inhaca offers a natural point of comparison with Masirah, where Oman’s kite community gathers during the summer wind season. Both islands are shaped by the Indian Ocean and the winds that draw riders to their shores, yet each offers a different experience.
Masirah’s season is driven by the southwest monsoon, bringing powerful and consistent summer winds across an expansive coastline. Riders can move between flatter water and waves, with open beaches and plenty of space forming part of the island’s appeal.
Inhaca offered a different rhythm. Shallow waters and sandbanks provide areas of flatter riding, while more exposed sections face the open ocean. Tides transform the water throughout the day, influencing where and when riders head out.
Moving between the two meant reading unfamiliar water and adjusting to a different landscape, even for experienced riders. Away from the water, both islands offered the sense of escape that draws kitesurfers to remote destinations. The wind set the pace of each day, while the hours between sessions left time to explore and connect.
For The Female Collective, Inhaca offered more than time on the water. Familiar faces from Oman joined women they might never otherwise have met, sharing the experience both on and off the beach. It is a connection the organisers hope to carry into future trips, opening up new destinations to women in Oman and beyond and giving them more opportunities to explore and progress together.
Photo Credit: Azzan al Sinani