Saturday, July 17, 2010

A second type of Omanization

Here, as in many Gulf countries, the is process in play called "Omanization." Where every company foriegn or domestic must subscribe to a quota of Omani employees. It includes other stipulations regarding the job level Omanis must hold, restrictions on job termination, etc. All together a smart system for a developing country whose focus is on capacity building to have. I find though there is another informal process happening in the social realm of life in Oman. Where by making yourself at home here, means assimilating to Omani culture.



This is a beautiful country indeed. Have you noticed that you rarely meet Omani's outside of Oman? And when you do, they always have a return ticket, or some plan for when they will make their way back to their country. At the prospect of my leaving many of my friends and acquaintances were confused as to way I wouldn't do everything that I possibly could to stay.  I don't blame them. If you are Omani, why leave? Yes there are problems but every society has their share, and the ones here are hardly unique.  I totally understand why Omanis would want to stay, its consistent with cultural and Islamic values family and community obligation played out within a traditional context.  I don't imagine it well change in the future.  On the contrary, I predict both national pride and allegiance to family and tribal networks will strengthen, the quality of eductational systems will increase and it will keep more and more Omanis home (if ultimately the job market cooperates).

All that said, quite frankly, this is not my country. I have no investment here, no roots, no family--for an expat, life here is opportunity driven. When the opportunity runs its course, so does your tenure.  Its much like the tradition of hospitalitiy here. With its soft outter shell, that well make you feel comfortable and looked after but the hard inner one that still recognizes you as a foreigner. You will have the furnished villa or apartment, company car, imported goods and all the fixings. But you don't and can't own the property, your staples are treatd as novelties, and your participation in society is conditional. Ditto you'll be offered tea and coffee, be told to feel at home and perhaps even invited to weddings or familial events, but the actual relationship does not pass cordiality. This is not a critique at all, as there are many cultures who don't even have that soft outter shell. However, to break into the hard center, being incorprated into people's lives and into the fabric of society-- to feel at home in Oman, certainly takes decades to develop and some amount of assimilation.