Written cultural and literary life flourished in Oman from 1970 to 2020. While modern Omani writing is grounded in traditions of story-telling and poetry that pre-date this period, increased education, the official promotion of culture and the rise of new technologies and infrastructure has allowed Omanis to express themselves to a much wider public both within Oman and outside its borders. Omani writers grew in fame throughout the Arabic world, and the rest of the world in translation. In 2019, an Omani writer received the internationally esteemed Man Booker Prize. This growing, international acknowledgment of Oman’s literary scene was achieved over fifty years of literary development in modern Oman.

Sultan Qaboos’ early promotion of education and educational institutions is one major reason for the success of Omani writers and poets. When Sultan Qaboos took power in 1970, apart from the three schools in Muscat and Salalah, there were no cultural and educational institutions. The young, highly educated ruler set the development of education at all levels as his most important priority, which culminated in the opening in 1986 of the University of Sultan Qaboos in Muscat. The founding of the university played a role in the Omani national revival. Earlier, in 1975, Sultan Qaboos founded the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture. The goal was to preserve the rich Omani national heritage and, crucially for the literary scene, to support publications. Cultural and literary clubs arose, for example, Al-Muntada al-Adabi (The Literary Club, 1985), An-Nadi ath-Thaqafi (The Cultural Club, 1986), An-Nadi al-‘Ilmi (The Academic Club, 1989), and in 2006 Al-Jama‘iyya al-‘umaniyya li-l-kuttab (Omani Society of Writers and Literati), which is vigorously led by the Omani poet Said as-Saqlawi. These institutions aim to organize cultural and academic events and to cooperate with similar centers in the country and abroad. Since then much attention has been paid to the educational, cultural, and sporting development of Omani youth. For this purpose, the General Organization for Youth Sport and Cultural Activities was established, which supervised events such as poetry competitions, Qur’an recitations, academic conferences, and sporting events. Public libraries, for example, Maktaba Jami‘at As-Sultan Qaboos (Sultan Qaboos University Library), Maktaba al-Islamiyya (The Muslim Library), Maktaba al-Fanniyya (The Technical Library), and others were also established.