Series - FotoSlovo 2025 - Category « Documentary / Reportage »
Silver Medal
Project description “Ashes of the Arabian’s Pearl“
On January 10, 2020, Oman mourned the death of Sultan Qābūs Bin Sa‘īd Āl-Būsa‘īdī, whose fifty-year reign—an Arab world record—shaped modern Oman through rapid development fueled by oil wealth and inspired by the myth of the "nahda" or "renaissance." His cousin, Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq, now leads the country under "Oman Vision 2040."
"Ashes of the Arabian's Pearl" explores the transition between these eras, focusing on the need for economic diversification as oil resources dwindle. From 2020 to 2023, this documentary observes the shifting dynamics of development through the lives of skilled migrant laborers—mainly from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh—contrasted with Omani entrepreneurial families.
The project mobilizes the concept of the tomason—urban remnants disconnected from function—to reflect on the imprints of Qābūs' reign. These memorative signs link space and time, evoking nostalgia and raising questions: What past do they belong to? Why do they persist? This visual narrative becomes a bridge between Oman's glorious past and its uncertain present.
