If you have lived in Qatar for at least a few months, you would have surely heard about or even visited the famed ‘Inland Sea’ in Khor Al Udaid, where the desert kisses the ocean in a beautiful natural setting.

BeachAtlas, a London-based website specialising in global beaches, has opened its eyes to the beauty of the Qatari location and chosen it as the 89th in the Golden Beach Award 2024 Top 100 Beaches in the World.

Qatar’s Inland Sea was the third-best beach in the Middle East and Arab region, finishing behind the UAE’s JBR Beach (Eighth) and Saudi Arabia’s Umluj Beach (41st).

Every year, BeachAtlas used to choose the world’s best beaches based on only a few criteria — their visual allure, powdery sands, and clear blue waters.

But this year, they broadened the criteria to look beyond just classical beauty.

They also considered factors like natural diversity, local community value, cultural significance, and DEI (Diversity, Equality, Inclusion), recognising beaches where visitors felt represented and comfortable, regardless of their background, identity, and abilities.

“This is the first selection ever to expand and encompass diverse criteria ... to shine a light on those beach gems that typically don't make it onto traditional, unidimensional ‘best beach’ lists,” the company noted on its website.

Travel experts, influencers, photographers, bloggers, and journalists from around the globe voted to choose the beaches, adding their personal insights to further refine the list — the Golden Beach Award 2024 Top 100 Beaches in the World.

According to the survey, the Inland Sea, located in southeast Qatar, is ‘uniquely nestled between desert dunes and ocean waves, creating a remarkable ecosystem. This spot is not just a beach. It’s a fusion of natural wonders and a peek into the past, rich with fossils along its shores. This beach is a blend of natural beauty and storied history, making it a fascinating visit,” said the website.

Those who take a trip to the Inland Sea will be able to see a rare meeting of sand dunes and the sea. This unique cycle brings in a variety of fish, crustaceans, turtles, Flamingos, migrating ducks, Arabian Oryx, and gazelles.

“The sea recedes in the evening, and the beach becomes deserted again, while dunes magically change colours under golden sunsets,” said a description on Visit Qatar website.

French Polynesia’s Bora Bora beach topped this year’s list of best beaches, followed by South Africa’s Boulders, USA’s Waikiki and Brazil’s Copacabana.

Thailand’s Maya Bay, Iceland’s Black Sand Beach, USA’s Glass Beach, UAE’s JBR Beach, Namibia’s Skeleton Coast and France’s Omaha Beach rounded off the top-10.

Other Asian beaches that made it to the top-100 are Thailand’s Pattaya (12th), Indonesia's Kelingking (34th), India's Baga (35th), Japan's Okinawa (36th), Philippines’ Hidden Beach in Palawan (37th), South Korea’s Haeundae in Busan (55th), Philippines’ Nacpan in Palawan (65th), Thailand's Railay Beach West (66th), and Singapore’s Siloso Beach in Sentosa Island (91st).

The complete list of Top 100 Beaches in the World can be found here.

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