Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces

[Al-Andalus]

Oman receives second HSSV as Austal targets UAE​

Charles Forrester, London - IHS Jane's Defence Industry
09 September 2016

The RNOV Al Mubshir, which was delivered to the Royal Navy of Oman earlier this year. Source: Omani Ministry of Defense​

The Royal Navy of Oman has received the second High Speed Support Vessel (HSSV) from Australian shipbuilder Austal.

The RNOV Al Naasir was handed over at the company's facility in Perth on 8 September, four months after the first vessel - RNOV Al Mubshir - was delivered.

According to the company, RNOV Al Mubshir is currently operating in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. The two vessels were acquired under a contract valued at USD124.9 million that was signed in 2014, covering the design, construction, and integrated logistics support.

Designed to rapidly deploy personnel and cargo, as well as carry out search-and-rescue operations, the HSSV has a draft of just 3 m, a 900 m 2 vehicle deck, seating capacity for 260 troops, 395 tonne carrying capacity, and a helipad for one of Oman's NH-90 helicopters.

The delivery of the vessels came after Australian Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne revealed that he is going to be supporting Austal's bid for a catamaran contract in the United Arab Emirates. Speaking at the Land Forces 2016 Conference in Adelaide on 7 September, Pyne revealed that the contract was worth in the region of AUD1 billion (USD767 million).

An Austal representative had not responded to a request for comment by the time of publication.

http://www.janes.com/article/63561/oman-receives-second-hssv-as-austal-targets-uae

RAYTHEON/LOCKHEED JAVELIN JV AWARDED $48 MILLION TO PROVIDE JAVELIN MISSILE SUPPORT TO JORDAN, OMAN, OTHERS​

US Department of Defense

August 31, 2016
Raytheon/Lockheed Martin Javelin JV, Tucson, Arizona, was awarded a $48,259,165 firm-fixed-price, foreign military sales contract (Australia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Iceland, Indonesia, Jordan, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Taiwan, and United Arab Emirates), for life cycle support repair and support the Javelin hardware. Bids were solicited via the Internet with one received. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2018. Fiscal 2016 and 2010 other; and operations and maintenance, Army funds in the collective amount of $48,259,165 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-16-C-0133).

- See more at: http://militaryedge.org/articles/ra...ile-support-jordan-oman/#sthash.FO2ELzVa.dpuf

ST Marine delivers Oman's final Al-Ofouq patrol vessel​

Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
27 June 2016

The first Al-Ofouq-class patrol vessel, Al-Seeb. The class' final platform, Khassab, was delivered in June 2016. Source: ST Marine​

The Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) has taken an interim acceptance of its fourth Al-Ofouq-class patrol vessel from Singaporean shipbuilder ST Marine, the company announced on 24 June.

The vessel, Khassab , was handed over at ST Marine's shipyard in Singapore in an interim acceptance ceremony on the same day.

Khassab is the final Al-Ofouq platform ordered from ST Marine under a SGD880 million (USD646 million) contract awarded by Oman's Ministry of Defence in April 2012. The sultanate took the delivery of first-in-class Al-Seeb (Z 20) in March 2015. The Al-Ofouq vessels are progressively replacing the RNO's Seeb (Vosper 25)-class patrol vessels that have been in service since the early 1980s.

The Al-Ofouq platform is derived from ST Marine's proprietary 75 m Fearless-class patrol vessel design. It features an overall length of 75 m, an overall breadth of 12.5 m, and displaces approximately 1,250 tonnes, according to specifications provided by the company.

The vessel can accommodate a crew of 60 and one medium helicopter on its flight deck. The Al-Ofouq class is powered by two MTU 20V 8000 M91 diesel engines, has a top speed of 27 kt, and a standard range of 3,000 n miles at 16 kt.

According to IHS Jane's Fighting Ships , the class is equipped with one Oto Melara 76/62 Super Rapid gun system as a primary weapon and two Oto Melara 30 mm guns (one each on the port and starboard sides). The ships are also equipped with Lacroix Sylena decoys for protection against precision-guided munitions, and the Thales Vigile 200 electronic countermeasures system.

The RNO's second- and third-in-class, RNOV Shinas and RNOV Sadh , completed their live firing trials in March and April 2016 respectively, said ST Marine.

http://www.janes.com/article/61769/st-marine-delivers-oman-s-final-al-ofouq-patrol-vessel

https://twitter.com/x/status/763250889754832898

Armed Forces Day including graduation of officers

Graduation of police recruits and parade

Omani police parade and interviews

​

 

[ali_raza]

m from oman

 

[Imad.Khan]

I have heard that 50% of the population of Oman is of Baloch ancestry. Is that correct?

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

It is not correct.

Around 30% and most of them are not citizens but expats. Most of the citizens/nationals have been intermarrying with local Arabs (Omanis) in recent generations so they have become fully Arabized. Similar to the Swahili/Zanzibari communities in Oman (Afro-Arabs, included). However their presence in Oman is far older.

Baloch have been serving in Omani military forces for over a century.

From the soldiers Oman sent to fight in Africa till now...

2014
Oman army to recruit 350 Baloch youths
https://www.dawn.com/news/1146956

 

[Imad.Khan]

It is not correct.

Around 30% and most of them are not citizens but expats. Most of the citizens/nationals have been intermarrying with local Arabs (Omanis) in recent generations so they have become fully Arabized. Similar to the Swahili/Zanzibari communities in Oman (Afro-Arabs, included). However their presence in Oman is far older.

30% is still a significant population, that makes around 1.35Million people.

Baloch have been serving in Omani military forces for over a century.

From the soldiers Oman sent to fight in Africa till now...

2014
Oman army to recruit 350 Baloch youths
https://www.dawn.com/news/1146956

You are a baloch right @DESERT FIGHTER? did you know that Oman had such a significant population of Baloch

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

30% is still a significant population, that makes around 1.35Million people.



You are a baloch right @DESERT FIGHTER? did you know that Oman had such a significant population of Baloch

Yes, Omani military is practically full of Baluch... I believe their previous COAS was also Baluch.

A delegation headed by Major General Matar bin Salim bin Rashid Al Bulushi, Commander of the Royal Army of Oman called on Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, today at General Headquarters. During a meeting with COAS, matters of mutual interest with particular reference to enhanced military cooperation in the field of training were discussed. Later, the delegation was given detailed briefing on operational and training activities of Pakistan Army. Earlier on his arrival, the visiting dignitary was presented guard of honor by a smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Army. Major General Matar bin Salim bin Rashid Al Bulushi also laid floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada

@Imad.Khan

Harnessing the GCC’s Baloch pedigree

Darwish Bin Ismail Al Balushi holds the portfolio of Oman’s minster for financial affairs while Dr Fatima Al Balushi is Bahrain’s human rights and social development minister. They are obviously no ordinary folks in their countries. However, they are equally special for Pakistanis too. They are two of the many distinguished Baloch living in the Gulf Arab nations, who belong mainly to the Kalat and Makran regions of Pakistan. Oman’s ambassador to Pakistan, Riyadh bin Yusuf bin Ahmed al Ra‘isi is yet another proud Baloch by ethnicity and loyal Omani by nationality. Major General Sharafuddin Sharaf, also a Baloch, used to be the intelligence chief of the UAE. Talib Miran Ra‘isi is the former air chief of Oman.

Not many Pakistani politicians, civil servants and academics know the achievements of this community that is largely stereotyped for being ‘backward’ and ‘impoverished’. It’s anybody’s guess as to why such stereotyping exists in their own homeland and who is responsible for their dismal state of affairs. While over 70 per cent of Baloch live in Pakistan’s Balochistan, they remain a distinct community in countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia.

The word ‘Baloch’ is largely understood to mean nomad. It is also spelt as al-Baloshi and al-Balooshi in the Gulf region. Some Baloch claim to have migrated to present-day Balochistan in the 12th century from Aleppo (the Halab region of Syria), sharing an ancestry with Kurds. Legend also has it that they travelled all the way from the shores of the Caspian Sea centuries ago.

The ethnic Baloch comprise approximately 35 per cent of Oman’s population. Over the past two centuries, the Balochi tribesmen have taken to the high seas in search for a better way of life. They settled as far as Zanzibar and the Republic of Congo, mostly migrating to Muslim-dominated regions of Asia and Africa. They integrated exceptionally well by adopting local cuisine, marrying within the local communities and learning their languages too. There was a conscious effort to preserve their own culture and cuisine as well that met with a varying degree of success.

The state of Kalat gave the Baloch a political identity in the 18th century, lasting till the British advent in the region. Throughout the Gulf, all the way into eastern Africa, the traditional Baloch economy and migration patterns are based on a combination of factors that involve farming, semi-nomadic shepherding and acting as askaris (mercenaries). The emerging oil economies became a factor too after the First World War. When Sultan bin Ahmad was forced to flee Oman in 1783, he was given refuge in the Makrani coastal fishing village of Gwadar by the then Khan of Kalat. The ousted sultan used Gwadar to launch attacks on the Omani coast till the death of his belligerent nephew in 1792. Thereafter, the sultan never returned it to the Khan, but sent a governor to administer Gwadar. Oman exercised influence over this area until 1958 before handing it over to Pakistan. Conservatively speaking, around three million Baloch tribesmen — the majority of whom maintain some degree of contact with their kin in Balochistan — are citizens of virtually all the Gulf nations.

Last year, Oman selected some 350 Baloch youth for various military cadres. The number of applicants from Gwadar, Kech and Panjgur districts ran into thousands. Today, Baloch soldiers and policemen are easy to find in most of the Arab Gulf nations. The Baloch are no economic migrants but citizens of the GCC. Pakistan’s diplomats in the Gulf need to proactively connect with this diaspora. India and Iran have gone to great lengths to reach out to their indigenous people separated by time and distances in countries as far as Fiji in the Pacific, and in Central and South America. Through state-level efforts, prominent Balochis of the Gulf can help build bridges for the prosperity and development of the remote districts of Balochistan. They can help attract enormous foreign investment for the Makran and Kalat regions, and also integrate Pakistan deeper into the GCC economy. Why can’t there be economic zones – factories, refineries and warehouses — for the Gulf Arab nations in Gwadar and Kalat?

Though the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has become the favourite topic of politicians and analysts, few have pondered on its importance for the GCC economies. The CPEC will essentially be a Chinese highway running across the Strait of Hormuz, which largely guarantees the sheikhdoms’ economic and political stability via two-way trade. Thus, the Gulf states will be preserving their own interests in the region by promoting development and stability in Balochistan. Islamabad has not invested enough effort in attracting more financial support from the Baloch living in the GCC region and who still have links to Balochistan. This is an area that needs to be looked into seriously.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2016.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

30% is still a significant population, that makes around 1.35Million people.



You are a baloch right @DESERT FIGHTER? did you know that Oman had such a significant population of Baloch

Most of those 30% are expats. Most of those that are nationals have lived in Oman for a long time and have intermarried with locals and assimilated in general. They are as Omani as locals, Afro-Arabs and Zanzibaris/Swahilis etc. are. The expat ones (recent arrivals) are another matter.

Oman once had one of the most powerful navies in the world actually. Not THAT long ago in fact. They used to have possessions ranging from South Asia in the east to modern-day Mozambique/Comoros/Seychelles in the south to Southern Iran in the north. Many Omanis and other Arabs from Arabia settled in those regions and when Oman lost control of those areas many of the settlers returned back home. Some had intermarried with locals in those regions formally controlled by Oman. Some (not a negligible number in fact) non-Omanis/non-Arabs, formerly subjects of Oman, migrated to Oman. So Oman is a quite diverse country which reflects their past but most of the population remains Omani.

Of course nowadays there is also the expat community (Arabs and non-Arabs) but I don't count them as long as they are not nationals.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Most of those 30% are expats. Most of those that are nationals have lived in Oman for a long time and have intermarried with locals. They are as Omani as locals, Afro-Arabs and Zanzibaris/Swahilis etc. are.

Oman once had one of the most powerful navies in the world actually. Not THAT long ago in fact. They used to have possessions ranging from South Asia in the east to modern-day Mozambique/Comoros/Seychelles in the south to Southern Iran in the north. Many Omanis and other Arabs from Arabia settled in those regions and when Oman lost control of those areas many of the settlers returned back home. Some had intermarried with locals in those regions formally controlled by Oman. Some (not a negligible number in fact) non-Omanis/non-Arabs, formerly subjects of Oman, migrated to Oman. So Oman is a quite diverse country which reflects their past but most of the population remains Omani.

Of course nowadays there is also the expat community (Arabs and non-Arabs) but I don't count them as long as they are not nationals.

Harnessing the GCC’s Baloch pedigree

Darwish Bin Ismail Al Balushi holds the portfolio of Oman’s minster for financial affairs while Dr Fatima Al Balushi is Bahrain’s human rights and social development minister. They are obviously no ordinary folks in their countries. However, they are equally special for Pakistanis too. They are two of the many distinguished Baloch living in the Gulf Arab nations, who belong mainly to the Kalat and Makran regions of Pakistan. Oman’s ambassador to Pakistan, Riyadh bin Yusuf bin Ahmed al Ra‘isi is yet another proud Baloch by ethnicity and loyal Omani by nationality. Major General Sharafuddin Sharaf, also a Baloch, used to be the intelligence chief of the UAE. Talib Miran Ra‘isi is the former air chief of Oman.

Not many Pakistani politicians, civil servants and academics know the achievements of this community that is largely stereotyped for being ‘backward’ and ‘impoverished’. It’s anybody’s guess as to why such stereotyping exists in their own homeland and who is responsible for their dismal state of affairs. While over 70 per cent of Baloch live in Pakistan’s Balochistan, they remain a distinct community in countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia.

The word ‘Baloch’ is largely understood to mean nomad. It is also spelt as al-Baloshi and al-Balooshi in the Gulf region. Some Baloch claim to have migrated to present-day Balochistan in the 12th century from Aleppo (the Halab region of Syria), sharing an ancestry with Kurds. Legend also has it that they travelled all the way from the shores of the Caspian Sea centuries ago.

The ethnic Baloch comprise approximately 35 per cent of Oman’s population. Over the past two centuries, the Balochi tribesmen have taken to the high seas in search for a better way of life. They settled as far as Zanzibar and the Republic of Congo, mostly migrating to Muslim-dominated regions of Asia and Africa. They integrated exceptionally well by adopting local cuisine, marrying within the local communities and learning their languages too. There was a conscious effort to preserve their own culture and cuisine as well that met with a varying degree of success.

The state of Kalat gave the Baloch a political identity in the 18th century, lasting till the British advent in the region. Throughout the Gulf, all the way into eastern Africa, the traditional Baloch economy and migration patterns are based on a combination of factors that involve farming, semi-nomadic shepherding and acting as askaris (mercenaries). The emerging oil economies became a factor too after the First World War. When Sultan bin Ahmad was forced to flee Oman in 1783, he was given refuge in the Makrani coastal fishing village of Gwadar by the then Khan of Kalat. The ousted sultan used Gwadar to launch attacks on the Omani coast till the death of his belligerent nephew in 1792. Thereafter, the sultan never returned it to the Khan, but sent a governor to administer Gwadar. Oman exercised influence over this area until 1958 before handing it over to Pakistan. Conservatively speaking, around three million Baloch tribesmen — the majority of whom maintain some degree of contact with their kin in Balochistan — are citizens of virtually all the Gulf nations.

Last year, Oman selected some 350 Baloch youth for various military cadres. The number of applicants from Gwadar, Kech and Panjgur districts ran into thousands. Today, Baloch soldiers and policemen are easy to find in most of the Arab Gulf nations. The Baloch are no economic migrants but citizens of the GCC. Pakistan’s diplomats in the Gulf need to proactively connect with this diaspora. India and Iran have gone to great lengths to reach out to their indigenous people separated by time and distances in countries as far as Fiji in the Pacific, and in Central and South America. Through state-level efforts, prominent Balochis of the Gulf can help build bridges for the prosperity and development of the remote districts of Balochistan. They can help attract enormous foreign investment for the Makran and Kalat regions, and also integrate Pakistan deeper into the GCC economy. Why can’t there be economic zones – factories, refineries and warehouses — for the Gulf Arab nations in Gwadar and Kalat?

Though the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has become the favourite topic of politicians and analysts, few have pondered on its importance for the GCC economies. The CPEC will essentially be a Chinese highway running across the Strait of Hormuz, which largely guarantees the sheikhdoms’ economic and political stability via two-way trade. Thus, the Gulf states will be preserving their own interests in the region by promoting development and stability in Balochistan. Islamabad has not invested enough effort in attracting more financial support from the Baloch living in the GCC region and who still have links to Balochistan. This is an area that needs to be looked into seriously.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2016.

Most of those 30% are expats. Most of those that are nationals have lived in Oman for a long time and have intermarried with locals and assimilated in general. They are as Omani as locals, Afro-Arabs and Zanzibaris/Swahilis etc. are. The expat ones (recent arrivals) are another matter.

Oman once had one of the most powerful navies in the world actually. Not THAT long ago in fact. They used to have possessions ranging from South Asia in the east to modern-day Mozambique/Comoros/Seychelles in the south to Southern Iran in the north. Many Omanis and other Arabs from Arabia settled in those regions and when Oman lost control of those areas many of the settlers returned back home. Some had intermarried with locals in those regions formally controlled by Oman. Some (not a negligible number in fact) non-Omanis/non-Arabs, formerly subjects of Oman, migrated to Oman. So Oman is a quite diverse country which reflects their past but most of the population remains Omani.

Of course nowadays there is also the expat community (Arabs and non-Arabs) but I don't count them as long as they are not nationals.

Unlike "others" Baluch of GCC still retain their culture,language and heritage and maintain contact home.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Harnessing the GCC’s Baloch pedigree

Darwish Bin Ismail Al Balushi holds the portfolio of Oman’s minster for financial affairs while Dr Fatima Al Balushi is Bahrain’s human rights and social development minister. They are obviously no ordinary folks in their countries. However, they are equally special for Pakistanis too. They are two of the many distinguished Baloch living in the Gulf Arab nations, who belong mainly to the Kalat and Makran regions of Pakistan. Oman’s ambassador to Pakistan, Riyadh bin Yusuf bin Ahmed al Ra‘isi is yet another proud Baloch by ethnicity and loyal Omani by nationality. Major General Sharafuddin Sharaf, also a Baloch, used to be the intelligence chief of the UAE. Talib Miran Ra‘isi is the former air chief of Oman.

Not many Pakistani politicians, civil servants and academics know the achievements of this community that is largely stereotyped for being ‘backward’ and ‘impoverished’. It’s anybody’s guess as to why such stereotyping exists in their own homeland and who is responsible for their dismal state of affairs. While over 70 per cent of Baloch live in Pakistan’s Balochistan, they remain a distinct community in countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia.

The word ‘Baloch’ is largely understood to mean nomad. It is also spelt as al-Baloshi and al-Balooshi in the Gulf region. Some Baloch claim to have migrated to present-day Balochistan in the 12th century from Aleppo (the Halab region of Syria), sharing an ancestry with Kurds. Legend also has it that they travelled all the way from the shores of the Caspian Sea centuries ago.

The ethnic Baloch comprise approximately 35 per cent of Oman’s population. Over the past two centuries, the Balochi tribesmen have taken to the high seas in search for a better way of life. They settled as far as Zanzibar and the Republic of Congo, mostly migrating to Muslim-dominated regions of Asia and Africa. They integrated exceptionally well by adopting local cuisine, marrying within the local communities and learning their languages too. There was a conscious effort to preserve their own culture and cuisine as well that met with a varying degree of success.

The state of Kalat gave the Baloch a political identity in the 18th century, lasting till the British advent in the region. Throughout the Gulf, all the way into eastern Africa, the traditional Baloch economy and migration patterns are based on a combination of factors that involve farming, semi-nomadic shepherding and acting as askaris (mercenaries). The emerging oil economies became a factor too after the First World War. When Sultan bin Ahmad was forced to flee Oman in 1783, he was given refuge in the Makrani coastal fishing village of Gwadar by the then Khan of Kalat. The ousted sultan used Gwadar to launch attacks on the Omani coast till the death of his belligerent nephew in 1792. Thereafter, the sultan never returned it to the Khan, but sent a governor to administer Gwadar. Oman exercised influence over this area until 1958 before handing it over to Pakistan. Conservatively speaking, around three million Baloch tribesmen — the majority of whom maintain some degree of contact with their kin in Balochistan — are citizens of virtually all the Gulf nations.

Last year, Oman selected some 350 Baloch youth for various military cadres. The number of applicants from Gwadar, Kech and Panjgur districts ran into thousands. Today, Baloch soldiers and policemen are easy to find in most of the Arab Gulf nations. The Baloch are no economic migrants but citizens of the GCC. Pakistan’s diplomats in the Gulf need to proactively connect with this diaspora. India and Iran have gone to great lengths to reach out to their indigenous people separated by time and distances in countries as far as Fiji in the Pacific, and in Central and South America. Through state-level efforts, prominent Balochis of the Gulf can help build bridges for the prosperity and development of the remote districts of Balochistan. They can help attract enormous foreign investment for the Makran and Kalat regions, and also integrate Pakistan deeper into the GCC economy. Why can’t there be economic zones – factories, refineries and warehouses — for the Gulf Arab nations in Gwadar and Kalat?

Though the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has become the favourite topic of politicians and analysts, few have pondered on its importance for the GCC economies. The CPEC will essentially be a Chinese highway running across the Strait of Hormuz, which largely guarantees the sheikhdoms’ economic and political stability via two-way trade. Thus, the Gulf states will be preserving their own interests in the region by promoting development and stability in Balochistan. Islamabad has not invested enough effort in attracting more financial support from the Baloch living in the GCC region and who still have links to Balochistan. This is an area that needs to be looked into seriously.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2016.


Unlike "others" Baluch of GCC still retain their culture,language and heritage and maintain contact home.

At least half of those claimed 3 million Baloch in the GCC are non-nationals. I don't consider them Omanis and they are probably the ones that retain the ties to their ancestral lands the most. The Baloch that have intermarried and become assimilated (Oman) are as Omani as the native Omanis, Afro-Arabs, Zanzibaris/Swahilis and others.

Anyway back to topic:

BAE rolls out first Omani Typhoon, Hawk
Jeremy Binnie, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
16 May 2017

Oman's first Typhoon and Hawk Mk 166. (BAE Systems)​

The first of the 12 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighters and eight Hawk Mk 166 advanced jet trainers ordered by Oman were "formally presented" to the customer on 15 May, BAE Systems announced.

The event was held at the company's Warton production and testing facility in the United Kingdom and attended by Sayyid Badr bin Saud al-Busaidi, Oman's minister responsible for defence affairs, and Air Vice-Marshal Mattar bin Ali bin Mattar al-Obaidani, the commander of the Royal Omani Air Force.

Want to read more? For analysis on this article and access to all our insight content, please enquire about our subscription options:　ihs.com/contact

http://www.janes.com/article/70426/bae-rolls-out-first-omani-typhoon-hawk

http://militaryedge.org/articles/oman-confirms-joining-saudi-led-anti-terrorism-alliance/

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

At least half of those claimed 3 million Baloch in the GCC are non-nationals. I don't consider them Omanis and they are probably the ones that retain the ties to their ancestral lands the most. The Baloch that have intermarried and become assimilated (Oman) are as Omani as the native Omanis, Afro-Arabs, Zanzibaris/Swahilis and others.

The report talks about Baloch citizens of GCC.

Bahrain,Oman,UAE have ethnic Baloch "citizens" who maintain ties with their extended families back home.

As for "assimilation", I don't know what that mean, if they retain their culture,language,heritage and clothing?
Unlike "swahilis" or whatever..

Btwn:

Omani Baloch are considered an "ethnic" group of Oman... I've even seen you ignorantly posting Baloch cultural pics in Arab threads, not knowing those are "Baluch" rather than Arab culture.

Even the Baloch of East Africa maintain their culture ;

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/the-east-african-baloch.488110/

 

[Saif al-Arab]

The report talks about Baloch citizens of GCC.

Bahrain,Oman,UAE have ethnic Baloch "citizens" who maintain ties with their extended families back home.

As for "assimilation", I don't know what that mean, if they retain their culture,language,heritage and clothing?
Unlike "swahilis" or whatever..

Btwn:

Omani Baloch are considered an "ethnic" group of Oman... I've even seen you ignorantly posting Baloch cultural pics in Arab threads, not knowing those are "Baluch" rather than Arab culture.

Even the Baloch of East Africa maintain their culture ;

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/the-east-african-baloch.488110/

There is no way on earth that there are 3 million GCC citizens who are of Baloch origin. It's a nonsense number. That number obviously includes expats. Whether you like it or not, many Baloch in Oman have intermarried with locals and become assimilated. Even adopted Arabic surnames. Al-Balushi is their most common surname. Sounds very Baloch.

Not sure what you are blabbering about. Arabs have 1000 times the diversity that the 10 million Baloch worldwide have on this front so there is no need for me to post any "Baloch cultural pics". Citizens of Oman or any Arab country are considered Arab, especially if they regard themselves as such and have intermarried with Arabs, speak Arabic as their mother tongue and consider themselves citizens of Arab countries. Using your logic Afro-Arabs are not Arabs despite all of them considering themselves as such.

This is not a thread about Balochs but the Omani military.

 

[Imad.Khan]

Yes, Omani military is practically full of Baluch... I believe their previous COAS was also Baluch.

View attachment 406330


A delegation headed by Major General Matar bin Salim bin Rashid Al Bulushi, Commander of the Royal Army of Oman called on Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, today at General Headquarters. During a meeting with COAS, matters of mutual interest with particular reference to enhanced military cooperation in the field of training were discussed. Later, the delegation was given detailed briefing on operational and training activities of Pakistan Army. Earlier on his arrival, the visiting dignitary was presented guard of honor by a smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Army. Major General Matar bin Salim bin Rashid Al Bulushi also laid floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada

@Imad.Khan

Harnessing the GCC’s Baloch pedigree

Darwish Bin Ismail Al Balushi holds the portfolio of Oman’s minster for financial affairs while Dr Fatima Al Balushi is Bahrain’s human rights and social development minister. They are obviously no ordinary folks in their countries. However, they are equally special for Pakistanis too. They are two of the many distinguished Baloch living in the Gulf Arab nations, who belong mainly to the Kalat and Makran regions of Pakistan. Oman’s ambassador to Pakistan, Riyadh bin Yusuf bin Ahmed al Ra‘isi is yet another proud Baloch by ethnicity and loyal Omani by nationality. Major General Sharafuddin Sharaf, also a Baloch, used to be the intelligence chief of the UAE. Talib Miran Ra‘isi is the former air chief of Oman.

Not many Pakistani politicians, civil servants and academics know the achievements of this community that is largely stereotyped for being ‘backward’ and ‘impoverished’. It’s anybody’s guess as to why such stereotyping exists in their own homeland and who is responsible for their dismal state of affairs. While over 70 per cent of Baloch live in Pakistan’s Balochistan, they remain a distinct community in countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia.

The word ‘Baloch’ is largely understood to mean nomad. It is also spelt as al-Baloshi and al-Balooshi in the Gulf region. Some Baloch claim to have migrated to present-day Balochistan in the 12th century from Aleppo (the Halab region of Syria), sharing an ancestry with Kurds. Legend also has it that they travelled all the way from the shores of the Caspian Sea centuries ago.

The ethnic Baloch comprise approximately 35 per cent of Oman’s population. Over the past two centuries, the Balochi tribesmen have taken to the high seas in search for a better way of life. They settled as far as Zanzibar and the Republic of Congo, mostly migrating to Muslim-dominated regions of Asia and Africa. They integrated exceptionally well by adopting local cuisine, marrying within the local communities and learning their languages too. There was a conscious effort to preserve their own culture and cuisine as well that met with a varying degree of success.

The state of Kalat gave the Baloch a political identity in the 18th century, lasting till the British advent in the region. Throughout the Gulf, all the way into eastern Africa, the traditional Baloch economy and migration patterns are based on a combination of factors that involve farming, semi-nomadic shepherding and acting as askaris (mercenaries). The emerging oil economies became a factor too after the First World War. When Sultan bin Ahmad was forced to flee Oman in 1783, he was given refuge in the Makrani coastal fishing village of Gwadar by the then Khan of Kalat. The ousted sultan used Gwadar to launch attacks on the Omani coast till the death of his belligerent nephew in 1792. Thereafter, the sultan never returned it to the Khan, but sent a governor to administer Gwadar. Oman exercised influence over this area until 1958 before handing it over to Pakistan. Conservatively speaking, around three million Baloch tribesmen — the majority of whom maintain some degree of contact with their kin in Balochistan — are citizens of virtually all the Gulf nations.

Last year, Oman selected some 350 Baloch youth for various military cadres. The number of applicants from Gwadar, Kech and Panjgur districts ran into thousands. Today, Baloch soldiers and policemen are easy to find in most of the Arab Gulf nations. The Baloch are no economic migrants but citizens of the GCC. Pakistan’s diplomats in the Gulf need to proactively connect with this diaspora. India and Iran have gone to great lengths to reach out to their indigenous people separated by time and distances in countries as far as Fiji in the Pacific, and in Central and South America. Through state-level efforts, prominent Balochis of the Gulf can help build bridges for the prosperity and development of the remote districts of Balochistan. They can help attract enormous foreign investment for the Makran and Kalat regions, and also integrate Pakistan deeper into the GCC economy. Why can’t there be economic zones – factories, refineries and warehouses — for the Gulf Arab nations in Gwadar and Kalat?

Though the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has become the favourite topic of politicians and analysts, few have pondered on its importance for the GCC economies. The CPEC will essentially be a Chinese highway running across the Strait of Hormuz, which largely guarantees the sheikhdoms’ economic and political stability via two-way trade. Thus, the Gulf states will be preserving their own interests in the region by promoting development and stability in Balochistan. Islamabad has not invested enough effort in attracting more financial support from the Baloch living in the GCC region and who still have links to Balochistan. This is an area that needs to be looked into seriously.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2016.

I am extremely impressed, and at the same time disappointed that Baloch people are doing so well away from their homeland but back home are not achieving the same level of success.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

There is no way on earth that there are 3 million GCC citizens who are of Baloch origin. It's a nonsense number. That number obviously includes expats. Whether you like it or not, many Baloch in Oman have intermarried with locals and become assimilated. Even adopted Arabic surnames. Al-Balushi is their most common surname. Sounds very Baloch.

No "balushi" sounds very Arabic ..
It must be a common arab surname?

Bandar bin Balushi..

Not sure what you are blabbering about. Arabs have 1000 times the diversity that the 10 million Baloch worldwide have on this front so there is no need for me to post any "Baloch cultural pics". Citizens of Oman or any Arab country are considered Arab, especially if they regard themselves as such and have intermarried with Arabs, speak Arabic as their mother tongue and consider themselves citizens of Arab countries. Using your logic Afro-Arabs are not Arabs despite all of them considering themselves as such.

This is not a thread about Balochs but the Omani military.

What diversity ? Arabs are a homogeneous people .. same origin,divided into tribes/families.

As for Baloch citizens of GCC, calm down my man.. I know several of those "Arabic speaking" Baloch.. all of them speak Balochi and even Urdu and have extended family in Pak... most of the Omani Baluch I know work for the Omani military and the Ministry of defence ...

We even have a Kuwaiti member of Half Baloch origin. @Kuwaiti Girl

Does your "Highness" consider Baloch clothing as "Arab"

Pic is from "Oman"... which your previous ID thought were "arab clothing"
https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/traditional-clothing-from-the-arab-world.262640/#post-4498156

 

[Saif al-Arab]

No "balushi" sounds very Arabic ..
It must be a common arab surname?

Bandar bin Balushi..




What diversity ? Arabs are a homogeneous people .. same origin,divided into tribes/families.

As for Baloch citizens of GCC, calm down my man.. I know several of those "Arabic speaking" Baloch.. all of them speak Balochi and even Urdu and have extended family in Pak... most of the Omani Baluch I know work for the Omani military and the Ministry of defence ...

We even have a Kuwaiti member of Half Baloch origin. @Kuwaiti Girl

Does your "Highness" consider Baloch clothing as "Arab"

Pic is from "Oman"... which your previous ID thought were "arab clothing"
https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/traditional-clothing-from-the-arab-world.262640/#post-4498156

So the 10 million Baloch worldwide use an Arabic prefix "Al" in their surnames now? Or "bin" for that matter? Nice joke.

The diversity that 20 + countries, 500 + million people on 2 continents plus the diaspora (one of the largest in the world) and 100's of historical regions can create. I am sure that the 10 million Baloch are more diverse despite living in mainly 2 countries (Iran and Pakistan) with a small minority in Southern Afghanistan and the largest diaspora in the GCC. Sure.

In KSA, let alone Arabia as a whole, every tribe have their own traditional dresses, traditional dances, folklore, poetry etc. You really sound like a complete ignorant.

All of them. Sure. In a parallel universe maybe. Baloch people who were used as mercenary soldiers by the Omani sultans (because of distrust of local Arab dynasties) migrating to Oman 200 years (some even before that) have not intermarried with locals and many of them don't consider themselves Omani or Arab. Sure. I just happen to know a few that do but I guess that they are lying.

Yes, the same @Kuwaiti Girl that does not speak a word of Balochi per her own writings and who displays an avatar showing the Arab world. The same person that considers herself 100% Kuwaiti and hardly ever comments about anything related to Balochs. For instance I am yet to see her write about Baluchistan even once.

Wow, so 1 photo out of almost 500 (if not more) photos in that thread. Priceless.

Yes, I do consider 1 photo of Omani nationals to qualify as "clothing" from the Arab world similar to considering the clothing and influences of Afro-Arabs to be part of the Arab family.

Using your messed up logic, Iranians cannot post clothing of Iranian Arabs and claim it as Iranian. Or Turkmen. Or Azeri etc.

I am sure that Pakistan has no outside influences or that Pakistan has not absorbed people from the outside whose culinary, cultural etc. influences you probably consider Pakistani today.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

So the 10 million Baloch worldwide use an Arabic prefix "Al" in their surnames now? Or "bin" for that matter? Nice joke.

Al means what?

You so conveniently forget "Balushi"..

The diversity that 20 + countries, 500 + million people on 2 continents plus the diaspora (one of the largest in the world) and 100's of historical regions can create. I am sure that the 10 million Baloch are more diverse despite living in mainly 2 countries (Iran and Pakistan) with a small minority in Southern Afghanistan and the largest diaspora in the GCC. Sure.

Numbers doesn't mean "diversity".. nor does location.. if people have the same "ethnicity" or origin.

In KSA, let alone Arabia as a whole, every tribe have their own traditional dresses, traditional dances, folklore, poetry etc. You really sound like a complete ignorant.

Same clothes, a little different "style".. also clothing aren't the barometer of diversity.. if so than even we Baloch have a lot of "diversity"... probably more than Arabs.

All of them. Sure. In a parallel universe maybe. Baloch people who were used as mercenary soldiers by the Omani sultans (because of distrust of local Arab dynasties) migrating to Oman 200 years (some even before that) have not intermarried with locals and many of them don't consider themselves Omani or Arab. Sure. I just happen to know a few that do but I guess that they are lying.

Moron, even today boys are recruited by those counties from Pak..

And even "2 centuries" didn't change jack... nor will it, if your homeland is just an hour by boat.. Oman is just 1 hour by boat from Makran coast.

And even the Baloch who migrated to east Africa to fight the Portuguese still retain their culture and heritage even after "2 centuries".

Wow, so 1 photo out of almost 500 (if not more) photos in that thread. Priceless.

Yes, I do consider 1 photo of Omani nationals to qualify as "clothing" from the Arab world similar to considering the clothing and influences of Afro-Arabs to be part of the Arab family.

Yes , 1 photo enough to shred your nonsensical logic of assimilation...

Had they been "assimilated",
They'd not be calling themselves Baloch, nor been wearing their ethnic clothes..

Using your messed up logic, Iranians cannot post clothing of Iranian Arabs and claim it as Iranian. Or Turkmen. Or Azeri etc.

It would indeed be foolish for an Iranian to call Arab "robes" as an Iranian clothing or culture..

I am sure that Pakistan has no outside influences or that Pakistan has not absorbed people from the outside whose culinary, cultural etc. influences you probably consider Pakistani today.

Yes we have.

And when we talk about "assimilation"... Ghilzai And other tribes are a real example .. ethnically Turks, today they can't be differentiated from local Pashtun tribes... they speak Pashto,dress and follow same culture...