Pray for Muslim cities in Oman
Oman in the Arabian Peninsula
The Sultanate of Oman
The Sultanate of Oman, easily accessible from Dubai, is situated in the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. A little smaller than the United Kingdom, its major products and industries include petroleum, dates, citrus and tropical fruit, incense, mineral oil, fisheries, and tourism. Sultan Qaboos bin Said has ruled the country with a stable government for the past 35 years. In this time Oman has built up a modern infrastructure and is trying to enlarge its economy. Its five largest cities are Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, Nizwa and Sur.
Muscat (population: 514,000)
Muscat is the capital of Oman. Omanis from all over the country come here for study, government services, economic reasons, and medical treatment. A large percentage of the population is foreigners (engineers, specialists, university teachers, skilled workers), since it has only begun building up a university system in the last 30 years.
Salalah (population: 186,000)
Salalah is situated about 1,000 km southwest of Muscat - about 11 hours by bus through barren wastes. Salalah, the only area in Oman where the monsoon rain falls, is fruitful. At its greenest time in the autumn, thousands of visitors come for the Khareef festival. Because of its connection with the Sultanate of Zanzibar, off Tanzania, many Omanis in Salalah are Swahili-speaking. There are several Christian denominations in this city.
Sohar (population: 135,000)
Sohar is said to be the home of Sindbad, the famous Omani seafaring hero. It is considered a conservative city with a traditional lifestyle. Many of the older generation have not received any schooling.
Nizwa (population: 85,000)
Nizwa is situated about 85 km west of Muscat in the mountains. For centuries, the city has been famous as a center for handicrafts, craftsmen, and the arts. However, it is also a center for superstition and the occult. Silver amulets manufactured in Nizwa are worn in many parts of the Arab world.
Sur (population: 75,000)
Sur is the least evangelized Omani city, situated in the eastern point of Oman. Historically it is known for its famous shipyards, where ships are still being built and repaired. The famous Omani dhows sailed as far as China. The population is very conservative.
This is Oman
Prayer guide for Oman:
* In Oman, 75% of the population follows Ibadi Islam, which is generally considered heretical by Sunnis. Ibadis believe that they are the "true" Muslims, making them even more resistant to Christianity. Pray that God may bring breakthroughs.
* Omanis are friendly and hospitable but restrained. They consider it impolite to discuss religious questions, making it difficult to have deep conversations with them. This may be a result of having been persecuted by Sunnis. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open hearts for conversation.
* There are many Christians among the foreign workers in Oman. Pray that their light will shine (Matt 5:14).
Background on Oman (World Factbook)
In 1970, QABOOS bin Said al-Said ousted his father and has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world and has preserved a longstanding political and military relationship with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.
Economy of Oman
Oman is a middle-income economy in the Middle East with notable oil and gas resources, a substantial trade surplus, and low inflation. Work on a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility progressed in 2005 and will contribute to slightly higher oil and gas exports. To reduce unemployment and limit dependence on foreign labor, the government is encouraging the replacement of foreign expatriate workers with local workers. Training in information technology, business management, and English support this objective.
Statistics on Oman
Population: 3,418,085
note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2009 est.) World rank #134Life Expectancy at Birth: 74.16. World rank #91
Ethnic groups: Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
Religions: Ibadhi Muslim 75%, other (includes Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu) 25%
Languages: Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Literacy: 81.4% -- male: 86.8%, female: 73.5%
School life expectancy: 12 years
Muscat - Capital of Oman - Video
I've lived in Salalah for 8 years, but have only met the occasional Swahili speaker. So it would be more correct to remove following sentence: "Because of its connection with the Sultanate of Zanzibar, off Tanzania, many Omanis in Salalah are Swahili-speaking."
What would be important to include for Salalah, however, is the following: "Although Arabic is the national language of Oman, the first language of about 70% of those living in the region around Salalah, is Shehri. This ancient language is unrelated to Arabic, and only has a spoken form."
What about Musandam Peninsula? Nobody evan mention. Is a wonderfull area and people are realy friendy and wellcome.
I'm living in Musandam more than 5 yrs and shihu tribe have them arabic dialect and also we have Kumzari people from Stait of Hormuz. Them dialect is a mixture of 5 languages, spanish,english, farsi, portughese, and arabic.
Hope in the future these NorwAY Of Arabia to be mention on it....
Pray for Oman:
* pray for Omani leaders to come to know Jesus
* for youth to be hungry for jesus
* for Islamic clerics to come to know the Lord
* for Christian forigeners to share the Gospel in a meaningful way
* for Bible translation and distrbution in the Sheheri
* for spritiual pride to be broekn down amongst Omani Muslims