Al Alama Centre
ALAL AMANAALAMAALAMA CENTRECENTRECENTRE MUSCAT,MUSCAT, SULTANATESULTANATE OFOF OMANOMAN HH AA NN DD BB OO OO KK 0 OUR HISTORY – A UNIQUE LEGACY The name “Al Amana” is Arabic for “bearing trust,” which captures the spirit and legacy of over 115 years of service in Oman. The Centre is the child of the Gulf-wide mission of the Reformed Church in America that began in Oman in 1893. The mission‟s first efforts were in educational work by establishing a school in 1896 that eventually became a coeducational student body of 160 students. The school was closed in 1987 after ninety years of service to the community. The mission was active in many other endeavors, which included beginning a general hospital (the first in Oman), a maternity hospital, a unit for contagious diseases, and a bookshop. With the growth of these initiatives, by the 1950‟s the mission was the largest employer in the private sector in Oman. In the 1970‟s the hospitals were incorporated in the Ministry of Health, and the mission staff worked for the government to assist in the development of its healthcare infrastructure. The mission also established centers for Christian worship in Muscat and Muttrah. It is out of these centers that the contemporary church presence for the expatriate community Oman has grown, now occupying four campuses donated by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. After Oman discovered oil, having a newfound wealth with which to modernize, the mission's activities were either concluded or grew into independent initiatives. However, the desire to serve the people of Oman continued.
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