الملخص الإنجليزي
Sultanate of Oman is well known for a treasure trove of craft industries including "Tabsil" (cutting, sorting, cooking, drying and exporting of date palm) which is considered an agricultural production method that relies on three popular varieties of date fruits- Al- Mabsali, Al-Madlooki and Abu Naranja. Dates fruits of these varieties are harvested when the color of date palm "Busr" turn yellow in color, then cooked, dried and exported to overseas markets and rarely consumed locally.
This craft has become a traditional agricultural practice that has been handed down from generation to generation and deeply embedded in the peoples' economic and social life. Economically, "Tabsil" is an essential source of income for the farmers and a main economic driver for Sultanate of Oman because a large part of Busr" date fruits is exported to overseas markets. It is not just the money, "Tabsil" has huge social dimensions that impact not only the farmers but the society at large since "Tabsil" season is regarded as a social occasion for the gathering of friends, relatives, women and children in a show of cooperation, love and solidarity.
This study aims to document this traditional craft, its product and the social practices associated with it and it uses the descriptive analytical approach in addition to the field visits and interviews.
The study comprises five chapters - the first chapter is a general introduction for the study, the second chapter explores and highlights the previous studies on the subject, the third chapter focuses on "Tabsil" craft industry in Sultanate of Oman, the fourth chapter discusses the role of "Tabsil" as profession in the Omani society and the fifth chapter outlines the findings, discussion and recommendations.
The most important findings are that today Tabsil craft has become economically nonviable due the change in consumption patter and the emergence of alternative lucrative and sustainable employment opportunities in addition to the fact that it lost its social significance and suffered from dwindling number of Omanis craftsmen who were gradually replaced by Asian workers. While battling for survival, all social traditions associated with this industry were gone.
