Media365
For more than five decades, the Indian Social Club has been the cultural backbone of the Indian diaspora in Oman. Now, the institution that once helped build its own home in Darsait is asking the community to help it build again, this time in Al Amerat.Facing directives to vacate its long-shared premises with Indian School Muscat (ISM) in Darsait, the ISC has formally appealed to members of the Indian community across the Sultanate to step forward with financial backing to construct a dedicated complex on land already allotted to it in Al Amerat.The appeal signals a pivotal moment: either the community mobilises resources to create an independent, modern headquarters, or the Club risks losing the physical space that has anchored its activities for decades.The push gained momentum at an Open House on February 20, 2026, followed by an Iftar gathering hosted by a senior community member on February 24. At both events, attendees proposed a renewed and structured fundraising effort to finally develop the Al Amerat site.Community members have been asked to indicate their willingness to contribute by March 1, 2026, through a designated form. “Based on the response received, the next course of action will be decided,” a social worker said.A circular circulating within the community urges recipients to share the appeal widely to ensure broad participation and meaningful feedback. If adequate pledges are secured, a steering committee of senior community members will be formed to oversee the project transparently and within a defined timeframe. Major contributors are expected to have representation on this committee, and pledged funds would need to be deposited promptly to allow construction to begin.The ISC leadership has also invited suggestions from the wider community to refine the proposal and ensure the long-term sustainability of the planned complex.Backing the appeal made by India’s Ambassador to Oman, G V Srinivas, senior ISC member Sohail Khan said:“We warmly welcome this initiative by His Excellency G V Srinivas. It is an encouraging call for our community, especially business leaders, to come forward and support the creation of a modern, state-of-the-art Indian Social Club complex in Al Amerat.”“The new facility will strengthen our cultural, social, and recreational activities, foster greater community engagement, and serve as a vibrant hub for generations of the Indian community in Oman,” he further added.The ISC’s roots trace back to the early 1970s, when prominent Indian expatriates established the Indian Cultural Association to serve the growing community’s social and intellectual needs.In 1974, the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimour granted 15,000 square metres of land in Darsait to the Indian community. Because the allocation did not restrict the use of the land solely to a school building, it was decided that both a school and a cultural association would operate from the same premises. The infrastructure for both was built through donations from leading business houses and community members — a precedent the ISC is now invoking again.In 1994, under a government initiative to formalise nationality-based community clubs supervised by the Ministry of Social Development, the Indian Cultural Association was reconstituted as the Indian Social Club. Today, the ISC operates under Articles of Association issued by the Ministry and is managed by a 12-member committee.Over the years, it has grown into an umbrella platform for sports, education, charity and culture, organising music programmes, literary events, mushairas, cultural evenings and national day celebrations, while working closely with the Indian Embassy and Omani authorities.The current challenge is not about land, it is about money.In 2010, the ISC received usufruct rights over a 10,000 square metre plot in Al Amerat from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning for 25 years, renewable upon request. The allocation was meant to enable the Club to develop an independent facility separate from the school in Darsait.But the project has remained on paper.According to estimates shared with the community, levelling the uneven terrain alone could cost around OMR1 million. Construction expenses could range from OMR2 million to OMR8 million, depending on the scale and design of the complex.For a community institution born out of collective donations in the 1970s, the message is clear: its future infrastructure will depend, once again, on collective will.
