Al-Lawatia (; , sing. Lawati) is a prominent merchant tribe mainly based in the province of Muscat, Oman who are the speakers of the Luwati language, which is a Sindhi based language. There are around 30,000 Luwatis (or 1% of Omanis) in Oman.
Many Lawati families of successful merchants of the past are now involved in large multi-faceted corporations participating in the development of the region.
Origins
The Lawatia (or Lawatiyya) community in Muttrah in Muscat has its origins in the Sindh province of Pakistan. They immigrated to Oman between 1780 and 1850. Luwatis converted to Twelver Shia Islam in the 19th century from Ismaili Shia Islam.
Demographics and role in the Persian Gulf
The majority of Lawatis reside in Muscat, the capital of Oman, but some live on the coast of Al-Batina. Some Lawati families reside elsewhere in the Persian Gulf region such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Traditionally, Al-Lawatia have been known as prominent merchants on the coasts of Muttrah which lies 2 kilometers west of Muscat. They have worked in the incense (), jewelry and clothes business as well as in general trade. The community occupies a gated quarter of Muttrah known as Sur al-Lawatia. The quarter still boasts attractive houses with a unique Islamic architectural view and a large mosque known as Al-Rasul Al-Aadam Mosque or The Greatest Prophets Mosque in reference to Muhammad. The Sur has seen a major exodus in recent decades as Lawatis have moved to more modern neighborhoods as a result of increasing development, the availability of facilities and growing wealth and business of the community. Another great historic monument built by the tribe is Al-Zahra Mosque in the UAE, which was built nearly 300 years ago
There are estimated to be eighty thousand Lawatiyya dispersed over the gulf. In the predominantly Ibadi Sunni arena of Oman, they make up the majority of the local Shia population. It is believed the Lawatis traveled to Oman many years ago from ancient Hyderabad, appearing in Oman as early as the 1600s
Through the 1700s and later, Lawatiyya quickly developed an impressive trade industry in the local Matrah port, selling everything from incense to jewelry. They even began to occupy their own quarter of the harbor called Sur al-Lawatiyya (sur meaning enclosure), which was constructed into beautiful aqua tiled town houses that have been preserved to this day. Many wealthy Lawati families have moved out to suburban areas, but the mosque in Matrah remains the principle Shia mosque for Oman. In the past, religious leaders of the mosque have been recruited from Iran, Iraq, and Bahrain.
History and notable families
The first historical mention of the Lawatis is said to have been by the Omani historian Ibn Ruzayq, who said that notables of the community greeted the first ruler of the currently ruling Al Said dynasty on his arrival to Muscat in the 1740.
At least one Lawati family can be documented through British records as existing in Oman since the 1700s, those were the first group came to serve the British crown
Perhaps one of the most notable political families from the Al-Lawati tribe is Al-Abdulateef family, with names such as Al Hajj Baqer Abdulateef Fadel and Ali Abdulateef Fadel spearheading the tribe into prominence in the early 20th century. Al Hajj Baqer, one of the pioneer merchants in Muttrah and well-respected public figure, lead the tribe as the Lawati sheikh, he enjoyed a strong relationship with the ruling Al Said house particularly Sultan Said bin Taimur. It is widely known that he privately aided the Omani government's efforts in expelling the Saudi contingents from Al Buraimi in 1952.
It is notable that the first woman ambassador from Oman was Khadijah bint Hassan al-Lawati, a Lawati woman appointed to the Netherlands in 1999.