Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Adieu to Ali

Ali-al-Riyami
Ali-al-Riyami
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Goodbyes are at times when least expected and that was the case on Thursday, February 18, 2021, when family, friends and colleagues had to bid farewell to Ali al Riyami, retired journalist at Oman Daily Observer. What should have been just an afternoon nap moved onto become an eternal peaceful sleep.


Ali was a footballer and a poet. Most of the people knew him as a journalist, the profession he probably enjoyed the most.


As colleagues we saw him as a reporter, but conversations with Ali made one realise he was also a footballer and a poet. His anecdotes of growing up in UK, living in Ruwi, playing football, being the family man, being an accountant and finally settling to being a journalist where he found himself in the world of words. He was always direct with words — saying it the way it is. Yet he seemed to have enjoyed the quiet moments as well to write down poetry.


“It was shocking news for us but we all believe in God and this is what His wish is. He left peacefully,” said his brother, Dr Dawood al Riyami.


Conversations with Ali were always with details and were easy to visualise. He had a passion for football and initially started training with newcomers at the Fanja football team but decided to change his fields to be an accountant and then a journalist. Ali had said, “loved training and playing football but I enjoyed the most — being a journalist.”


Ali bin Said al Mandheri, cousin and close friend of Ali, said, “Ali was the person who encouraged me to write. In this regard he has been my coach and mentor. He was kind and humble and had a great sense of humour. To me I have lost a cousin who put me in the limelight by writing in the media. Ali was a young student when I was studying in UK.”


“We will dearly miss our colleague Ali. As a fellow journalist, I used to enjoy reading his articles. As a friend, I will miss his company and his friendship. He always had something nice to say about everyone and everything,” reflected author and journalist, Saleh al Shaibany.


Kabeer Yousuf, senior reporter of Oman Daily Observer, recollected, “Ali was a passionate scribe, a poet from heart and a rebel by nature who would not maintain silence on anything which was not normal. The last interaction I had with him was over a prayer mat. He stretched out his large prayer mat and said lightly, ‘Of course, I too will be given glad tidings as you pray on this mat.’ For sure, Ali, you will be elevated to the paradise and joined with the best of His creations.”


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