Arab, Arabic Gulf Spoken in Oman

Introduction / History

Gulf Arabic is the dialect of Arabic spoken mainly in the eastern half of Saudi Arabia and the nearby smaller countries such as Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE. It is also spoken by some in Yemen and Oman, two countries that border Saudi Arabia. Most Omanis speak the Omani dialect of Arabic, though some speak Gulf Arabic.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Oman is a rural and under-populated nation on the Arabian Peninsula. Their economy has grown considerably during the last 60 years, partly because of the discovery of oil deposits, and partly because they have made good decisions regarding trade and investing their wealth in their infrastructure. Omanis are surrounded by people from other Muslim countries who come to do menial work.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The official religion of this kingdom is Ibadi Islam, which has it's distinctions from both Sunni and Shia Islam. Though there Ibadi Muslims in other parts of the world, 75 percent of Oman's population follows this sector of the Islamic religion. Their distinction is usually related to their acceptance or rejection of historical Islamic leaders. However, unlike most Muslims, the Ibadis reject the veneration of saints, and especially the mystical practices of the Sufi orders.

What Are Their Needs?

The needs of the Omanis are mainly spiritual. They have very few chances to hear about the only Savior, and they have remained closed to ideas outside of their sect of Islam. Salvation by the grace of a sin-free Savior is a foreign and threatening concept to them.

Prayer Points

Pray for open hearts and minds to the ways of Jesus Christ among the Gulf speaking Arabs in Oman.
Pray for the Lord to raise up persons of peace to welcome Christ's ambassadors to Omani families.
Pray for the Lord to send His appointed workers to take Christ to this highly unreached people group.
Pray that there will be an unstoppable movement to Christ among every people group in Oman.

Text Source:   Joshua Project