Afro-Omanis
Omani people of African Zanj heritage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Afro-Omanis are Omani people of African Zanj heritage. Most live in the coastal cities of Oman, with many speaking Arabic and adhering to Islam. Their origins date back to the time of the Arab slave trade and era Slavery in Oman, and when Zanzibar was a part of the Omani Empire.[1][2]
| Total population | |
|---|---|
100,000 (2007)
| |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Dhofar, Sur, Muscat | |
| Languages | |
| Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Omanis, Afro-Saudis, Al-Akhdam, Afro-Palestinians, Afro-Jordanians, Afro-Iraqis, Afro-Syrians |
History
Many Afro-Omanis are descendants of slaves, mainly trafficked via the Indian Ocean slave trade and the Zanzibar slave trade from the Swahili coast. On 23 July 1970, the Sultan of Oman Said bin Taimur was deposed in the 1970 Omani coup d'état and his successor Qaboos bin Said initiated a number of reforms, of which the abolition of slavery in Oman was one.[3]
Heritage
Demographics
In the year 2007, roughly 100,000 Omanis out of 2 million Omani citizens were descended from Swahili Omani Afro-Arabs. This means that roughly five percent of Omanis are Swahili Afro-Omanis. These Omanis are called "back-from-Africa" Omanis due to the fact that Sultan Qaboos called on diaspora nationals, to return to their home country after having lived abroad.[5]
Notable people
- Ali Al-Habsi, footballer
- Tippu Tip, slave trader
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