Go with Henry: Afternoon with Ali in rural Oman

Friday, 7 November 2008

Afternoon with Ali in rural Oman

English Teacher in Oman

Mesharab, near Dhank

7 November 2008

Background

Ansu and I were exploring rural Oman in the Ibri area with our rented car. We went off the beaten track on dirt roads where tourists don't explore. We arrived at a small village and I took many pics. Our presence drew some attention, as the locals probably were not really used to foreigners being there. We were approached by an Omani man, who introduced himself as Ali, who volunteered to be my guide showing me around.

At first, I was a bit hesitant, as South Africans, in general, have a trust issue, but I followed suit. He showed me a date plantation near the village and some ruins, and then he invited us to his home where he entertained us with his whole family present. They could not really speak English, and my Arabic is very basic.

They put out a whole spread of Omani dates and fruits in their courtyard on a picnic mat, where we sat, ate and drank tea. Omani's are extremely hospitable people and we had other similar experiences during our stay in Oman.

Ali in a date plantation, Mesharab, near Dhank. My wife and I explored the area.
He came to us and asked us if he could show us around
and then invited us for lunch at his home

About Oman

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Holding a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the country shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine borders with Iran and Pakistan. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by the UAE on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz (which it shares with Iran) and the Gulf of Oman forming Musandam's coastal boundaries.

From the late 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was a powerful empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for influence in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to modern-day Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar (today part of Tanzania, also former capital). As its power declined in the 20th century, the sultanate came under the influence of the United Kingdom.

Historically, Muscat was the principal trading port of the Persian Gulf region. Muscat was also among the most important trading ports of the Indian Ocean. Oman is an absolute monarchy. The Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said has been the hereditary leader of the country since 1970. Sultan Qaboos is the longest-serving current ruler in the Middle East, and sixth-longest current reigning monarch in the world.

Oman has modest oil reserves, ranking 25th globally. Nevertheless, in 2010 the UNDP ranked Oman as the most improved nation in the world in terms of development during the preceding 40 years. A significant portion of its economy is tourism and trade of fish, dates, and certain agricultural produce. This sets it apart from its neighbors’ solely oil-dependent economies. Oman is categorized as a high-income economy (Wikipedia).