

Before the modern renaissance era in the Sultanate of Oman, which began when His Majesty the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said assumed power in 1970, modern means of communication were not available. However, people’s daily routines and social lifestyles greatly contributed to enhancing interaction among individuals, thus facilitating the conveyance of news and knowledge.
People began their day with the Fajr prayer, performed before sunrise. “Men perform the prayers in mosques spread throughout Omani neighbourhoods. Thus, people find an opportunity to convey important news and share the conditions of others, such as if someone is ill, the birth of a child, the death of someone, or any other significant news. People gather five times daily to perform prayers at different times throughout the day,” explained Salim Al Yaqoubi, an Omani who witnessed the period before and after the Renaissance (from the Wilayat of Ibri, Al Dhahirah Governorate).

Communication before the Renaissance was largely based on direct meetings and daily interactions among people. “The Omani Sablah provided an ideal space for society's members to express their opinions, share experiences and ideas, discuss important issues, and convey social, economic, and political news, which helped spread awareness within the community,” he noted.
Every Omani house, even today, has a designated place for men to gather and another for women (Sabla). Additionally, there is usually a public Sabla in most villages to serve the common interests of the people. Historically, men and women gathered, mostly during the day, to chat and enjoy each other’s company while eating dates and drinking coffee.
Gatherings were also held in public places, such as squares or under large trees, where people of various ages and backgrounds would come together to exchange conversations and stories across diverse fields, including history, heritage, and the social and political events that Oman has experienced.
The Omani Sablah was also an effective means of intergenerational communication and community building at a time when modern media were not available. He noted, “The presence of different age groups, including the elderly, contributes to preserving cultural heritage, customs, and traditions and promoting social values in Omani society. Folk stories and proverbs were shared, and advice was exchanged on various aspects of life, helping to convey experience, wisdom, and knowledge from one generation to the next.”
The falaj system and agriculture played a pivotal role in organising social life by establishing many customs and social systems associated with them in Omani neighbourhoods, villages, and cities. Thus, they were fundamental to social interaction and effectively facilitated the conveyance of news.
A 2021 report from the University of Nizwa emphasized the importance of community cooperation during the dates and wheat harvest seasons, highlighting how shared chants and customs foster enthusiasm among villagers in their work. The report also explored the social significance of the falaj system, which requires significant collaborative effort right from its construction. To dig and build the water channels that supply irrigation to farms, beneficiaries must work together, creating strong bonds of solidarity. The maintenance of the falaj is another area where teamwork is essential, particularly following rainfalls that can damage the channels, thereby enhancing community interaction.
The study pointed out that specific areas within the falaj channels are allocated for particular uses, encouraging communal gatherings where villagers can exchange news and learn about each other's lives. The Sharia area, the initial point where the falaj surfaces, is reserved for drinking water, with its purity and clarity untainted by pollution or human use.
Moreover, the falaj channels extend into residential areas and farmlands, taking into account various social dimensions, such as the provision of designated spots for washing and bathing, with separate facilities for men and women. There are also areas for washing clothes and household items where women frequently gather, as well as designated places for bathing the deceased.
Maintenance needs for the falaj are communicated through various means, including the traditional practice of beating drums. When maintenance is completed, villagers often celebrate with a feast, further reinforcing their social connections. Additionally, the falaj system generates various job opportunities, particularly for women, such as supervising grain grinding with a water mill, enriching both community ties and the sharing of information.
Another role assigned to women was guarding the falaj, where a group of them would stand near the falaj when women gathered to wash and bathe, monitoring the area to prevent waste from being thrown into the falaj water. Men also played a role in maintaining and cleaning the falaj. Additionally, both women and men shared the task of transporting drinking water from the falaj's Sharia to their homes. These gatherings were effective means of enhancing interaction and sharing news among the community in the absence of modern communication methods.

Gunfire was also a common means of announcing urgent news. “A cannon or rifle would be fired to convey urgent information such as fires and deaths. This was an effective way to inform a large number of people at once,” Salim noted.
Written letters served as another vital means of communication, particularly among Omani expatriates working abroad and their families in Oman. As he shared, “Sometimes, it would take months for a letter to arrive due to limited means of transportation, but it was an effective way to reassure loved ones and convey news. Letters were often entrusted to anyone travelling to the Sultanate or returning from abroad.”
The telegraph represented the fastest way to communicate news between the government and its representatives in the wilayats and subsequently to citizens. "The telegraph office was situated in the Wali's headquarters (the wilayat representative's office), which was often located in forts. The telegraph operated by encoding letters with electrical pulses and sending them through wires to another office where they were printed. The employee would decode known signals and symbols, translating them into letters that conveyed the intended message. These messages were generally brief.”
News was also communicated through written or verbal messages transmitted by individuals, which often took a considerable amount of time to deliver. Similar delays applied when conveying government news and decisions to the populace.
Even without modern technology, Omanis were adept at nurturing profound connections within their communities, ensuring that information flowed freely and that traditions were preserved across generations. This foundation of communication laid the groundwork for the remarkable transformations that would come with the advent of modern communication technologies, forever changing the landscape of information exchange in Oman.
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