Community translation in the Sultanate of Oman : a soft force in the fight against COVID-19

Abstract EN

-Translation, in modern Oman, serves as an essential means of communication between the Arabicspeaking Omanis and other individuals of smaller linguistic and ethnic communities working or residing in the country.

The purpose of translation in such situations is to empower linguistically disempowered individuals within Oman and ensure that they are adequately informed and that they actively participate in the country’s development.

Yet, there have been very few studies that deal specifically with community translation in Oman and in the wider Arab world.

The lack of a translation governing body and Omani translation scholars' tendency to focus on literary and technical translation in Oman are some of the factors that have kept community translation very much on the margins of translation.

The aim of this contribution, therefore, is to address some of the issues pertaining to community translation in the Sultanate of Oman.

In particular, it focuses on the long-standing relationship between translation and communication within Oman and how translation plays a pivotal role in the development of the country, given the fact that Oman, like other countries in the Arabian Peninsula, relies to a great extent on skilled expatriate workforce in various fields.

In particular, this contribution investigates the role community translation has played in the fight against COVID-19 in the Sultanate of Oman.

The effects of this pandemic are serious particularly in a country where around 40% of its population comes from different parts of the world and the majority of whom do not speak Arabic, the official language of the country, nor do they speak or read English, the language of business in Oman.

During such times, community translation becomes crucial.