Dr. Ayat bint Nasser Al-Matani
Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology & Cultural Heritage
College of Arts and Social Sciences
On 22 September 2026, the first International Day of Nomadic Heritage draws attention to the knowledge, values and ways of life that generations of nomadic communities have carried forward. Initiated by Kyrgyzstan, the day was proclaimed at UNESCO’s 43rd General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in November 2025, following consideration by its Executive Board. For Oman, this occasion offers a welcome opportunity to reflect on the richness of its Bedouin heritage and the place it can hold in the lives of future generations.
Nomadic heritage brings us close to the human experience of living with the land and learning from one another. It encompasses oral traditions, practical skills, forms of expression and the relationships through which knowledge is shared. Its significance lies in the experience accumulated across generations: how people understood their surroundings, organised daily life and gave meaning to the places they called home. Through this heritage, we can gain a fuller understanding of the communities whose experiences form part of our shared history.
In Oman, this inheritance deserves attention for the many perspectives it offers on the country’s past and present. Stories, remembered expressions and everyday customs can reveal aspects of life that are easily overlooked in formal accounts of history. They help us understand how families lived, what they valued and how they maintained their connections with others. Listening to these memories also allows younger Omanis to recognise the depth of knowledge within their own communities and to appreciate the people who have carried it forward.
Much of this heritage is passed on through conversation and participation. A child listens to an older relative, watches a task being performed or joins a family gathering, gradually learning both a practice and its meaning. The words may be remembered, but so too are the voice, the setting and the relationship between the people involved. These encounters give heritage its emotional importance. They connect personal memories with a wider sense of belonging and allow each generation to find its place within a continuing story.
As everyday life changes, opportunities for these encounters need care and attention. Education, work and new patterns of family life can change the time people spend together and the ways they share knowledge. Cultural continuity can take new forms within these circumstances. A family recording, a conversation in a classroom or a community gathering can create a fresh opportunity to pass on something valued. The aim should be to help people maintain meaningful relationships with their heritage as part of contemporary life.
Documentation has an important role in this process. Recording memories and explaining customs can preserve details that might otherwise become difficult to recover. A familiar expression may hold a story about a place; a practical skill may reveal how earlier generations responded to the conditions around them. Keeping these accounts, together with the explanations of those who know them, gives future generations material they can return to, question and learn from. Documentation becomes especially valuable when families and communities can access and use what has been recorded.
At Sultan Qaboos University, graduation projects offer one way to bring young people into this work. I believe students can make a meaningful contribution by spending time with communities, listening to their experiences and presenting what they learn in accessible forms. Their work could become a short documentary, an illustrated collection of memories or a small exhibition. Such projects can deepen students’ understanding of Oman while giving community knowledge a wider audience. They can also help students appreciate that valuable learning takes place wherever people have experience to share.
University and community events can extend these opportunities. An exhibition becomes more engaging when visitors can hear the voices behind its photographs and objects. A gathering can bring generations together to share memories, explain customs and introduce younger participants to skills they would like to learn. Students could help prepare these occasions and invite contributors to speak about their own experiences. The international day would then provide a starting point for relationships and activities that continue throughout the year.
The people who carry this heritage should remain central to how it is documented and presented. Their explanations give depth to what audiences see and hear, and their priorities should help shape the activities organised around it. Recognising their contributions, seeking their agreement and returning recordings and other materials to them can make university and community cooperation more useful and lasting. The value of such work grows when people feel that their knowledge is understood, respected and available to those who wish to learn it.
Celebrating the first International Day of Nomadic Heritage invites us to give more time and attention to this inheritance. Oman has an opportunity to connect the experience of older generations with the curiosity and creativity of younger people. Through student projects, family conversations and public events, we can create more occasions for that exchange. What matters most is that the knowledge carried within this heritage continues to have a place in people’s lives, strengthening their understanding of where they come from and what they wish to carry forward.