New Omani encyclopaedia explores ties with Africa, Asia

Muscat Daily

17-03-2025

By OUR CORRESPONDENT
Muscat – The National Records and Archives Authority (NRAA) has released the sixth volume of the Encyclopedia of the Omani Empire from the Coasts of Africa to the Coasts of India: A Historical and Political Vision of Cultural Expansion and Communication and the Spread of Islam.
The 630-page volume contains 19 studies examining the Omani Empire's relations with countries along the African coast, the Indian Ocean, the Gulf, and China between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries.
The research covers historical, political, geographical, economic, social, and cultural aspects, highlighting Oman's influence in the region and its role in spreading Islamic civilisation.
Historically, Oman served as a key maritime and trade hub, connecting East Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the Gulf. Its strategic position made it an economic and political centre, fostering lasting ties between Oman and the surrounding regions.
The encyclopaedia aims to document and reinforce these connections, promoting knowledge of Oman's role in shaping regional history.
'The publication, with its various volumes, aims to study in depth the relations of the Omani empire with countries bordering the coasts of Africa and neighbouring regions, the coasts of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf, and even China during the period from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. It also aims to reveal the elements of unity between its regions, the rich diversity of its societies, and the evolution of customs and traditions,' said Dr Hamad bin Mohammed al Dhuyani, Chairman of NRAA.