Veteran broadcaster, writer Mahmood Al Hasani passes away

Observer

2 days ago

Muscat: Oman's popular actor, writer, director, and owner of a voice that captivated the hearts of radio listeners bid farewell forever on Sunday morning, on June 1, 2025.
He was extremely active on social media, but his last post on Instagram was a voice over on verses that convey 'Glory to God', posted on January 31, 2025.
By afternoon, on June 1, 2025, family and friends were returning from the funeral in Seeb; many were speechless, finding it difficult to accept that smile and cheer will never be experienced again.
Mahmood loved making people laugh. There was always something to be cheerful about when Mahmoud was around. His voice was distinc,t and his mind was creative.
This is how he was when he was a child too. He was born in Muttrah; that is where he chose to live throughout.
Murtada al Lawati was his childhood friend.
"Mahmood Obaid from his childhood days was quite social. He showed his leadership qualities when the children used to play football or if they had gatherings. He was good at talking, and once he joined media, everybody knew the kind of boost he gave to the Omani media. He loved Muttrah. His heart was full of love for Oman and its heritage,' reflected Murthada.
Why did Mahmood love Muttrah?
"He lived there all his life. I remember as children we used to look at his grandfather's house, which was quite big. He knows all the streets of Muttrah, and because he was a person who would listen to everyone's issues and problems, he would advise people. I remember him since then. We lost contact when we grew up, but whenever we caught up, he would talk nicely. If you ask around in Muttrah, Mahmood Obaid is a friend of everybody. Even the streets of Muttrah will miss him. He used to talk about hidden parts of Muttrah. It is indeed a big loss because he was a very kind person who was loved. Mahmood Obaid will remain a figure in Oman, where the coming generations will somehow, I wish, talk about and cherish him. Mahmood Obaid was a real gentleman," concluded his childhood friend, Murthada, who went on to become an artist and businessman.
By 1990, Mahmood had chosen media as his career. Renowned filmmaker Mohammed al Kindi and Mahmood began their careers on the same day.
"We were employed by the Ministry of Information on the same day and at the same time. He went to the radio side, and I chose television. He went on to become a writer, actor and director and later worked in television series. He was a presenter as well.
That was the practical side, pointed out Mohammed: "Mahmood was very kind. He was open to other people's opinions about his programs and critiquing. He was accessible. I personally had the opportunity to work on his radio series. He was extremely gifted in discovering new talents as writers and directors."
Mohammed said that Mahmood will always be remembered by the way he used to teach others and how willingly he shared his knowledge.
When he retired, he used to spend time at the Oman Film Society editing his YouTube series on Muttrah, which he filmed on his own.
"We spent hours together at the Oman Film Society talking about the future of drama and theatre. Then there was a gap, and after a while I reached out, and he said he was not keeping too well but assumed that he would soon meet. He came back and was energetic, and I did not even have to ask him how he was doing. He did not speak of any ailments. But he became silent again, and when inquired, he sent a reply about his ailment," recollected Mohammed.
Radio Oman broadcaster Nada al Balushi had worked with Mahmood in numerous programs in the last 30 years.
"We worked in many programs, characterized by unforgettable spirit, voice, and creativity. Today we lost Mahmoud, the person, artist, teacher, and friend. We lost him, but his impact remains, and his spirit remains alive with what he left in terms of unforgettable moments, attitudes, feelings, and deeds.
"You are but a line in the book of loyalty, a thread in the fabric of the homeland, and a voice that God once gave us, then gently reclaimed," wrote Ibrahim Ali al Batashi in his tribute to the national broadcaster.
Moved by the loss of a voice that everyone identified with, he wrote, "Today, as we write about him, we are not only mourning him but also a time when the radio was a father, when the broadcaster was a friend to the family, and when Mahmoud Al-Hasani was all of Oman... in one voice."
He writes, "Mahmood was not just a broadcaster... he was an Omani chronicle read across the airwaves. Whenever he spoke, you felt the Sultanate of Oman, in all its majesty—its white robe, its carved dagger, and its sublime serenity—stood behind the microphone."