Perhaps the most shocking aspect of Monday night’s gun attack on the Imam Ali Mosque in Muscat is that it took place in a part of the Middle East well known for its peace and tolerance.
For centuries, the Omani people have had deep ties not only with neighbouring Arab nations but also with many different ethnic and faith communities in countries such as India and China. Oman’s current diversity reflects these historic connections. Although we only have ISIS’s word that it was its adherents who shot dead five worshippers and an Omani police officer, the warped ideology that drives such organisations long ago abandoned any hesitation in attacking a target as soft as a religious congregation at prayer.
Indeed, people in this region and further afield have had to endure such transgressive violence for far too long. From the atrocities committed in Mosul, to the November 2017 attack on Egypt’s Al Rawda Mosque that claimed more than 300 lives to April’s assault on a mosque in western Afghanistan that left six people dead, ISIS and those who have fallen victim to its propaganda have left no taboo unbroken in their desire to inflict suffering on those they consider to be heretics.
For those poisoned by doctrines such Islamist extremism, white supremacy or other forms of hate, diversity and the live-and-let-live outlook it fosters are anathema. Instead, dogmatists strip ordinary people of their individuality, only to categorise and dehumanise them as the “other”. For totalitarians like ISIS, complexity is unfathomable and intolerable.
There is no doubt that this is a shocking period for Oman, widely regarded as a safe country with a low crime rate and little history of violent extremism. Omani authorities now have a challenging investigation to conduct – but the test is one the country will pass.
The reality is this: the gunmen responsible for the mayhem unleashed in Muscat on Monday have already failed. This is because decades of stability and cohesion cannot be undone by one atrocity. As Oman’s neighbours in the UAE and wider GCC condemned the attack, many ordinary Omanis also showed little hesitation in speaking out against hate and sectarianism.
People in this region and further afield have had to endure such transgressive violence for far too long
One such voice was that of 20-year-old Basil Al Lawati, an Omani computer science student who lives close to the mosque and heard the gunshots ring out late on Monday night. "Whoever has done this is just trying to create hatred, but we should stand united during these testing times and emerge stronger," he told The National. "We have people of different faiths, sects, and ethnicities living here in harmony. "
This communal harmony is one of Oman’s main strengths. Although the state has a well-developed policing and counter-terrorism network, which is often buttressed by co-operation with international partners, it is the unity shown by Omani society that will always relegate extremists to the fringes. In short, the message peddled by ISIS and similar organisations finds little room to grow in Oman, a historic and outward-looking nation that long ago recognised and respected the benefits that diversity and tolerance bring.
Those who were actively involved in this conspiracy have made a powerful enemy – not just law enforcement in the sultanate but in the shape of the communities of the Gulf whose disgust at a murderous attack on a house of prayer is matched only by the resolve to continue living peacefully with their friends and neighbours, of whatever faith.
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
