Muttrah, Oman– The palm-lined beaches and backwaters of India’s state of Kerala bear little similarity to the Omani mountain-ridged harbour coast where the Sultanate of Oman’s earliest market lies.
Furqan Abdul Razzaq, likewise understood as “Lover Boy Addu”– who embraced the label as the manager of several Whatsapp groups centred around language knowing– understands how to deal with travelers in both locations.
The 38-year-old works as a supplier at Muttrah Souq, the maze fete simply outside the Omani capital Muscat, nestled near a hectic port that generates travelers from cruise liner.
Razzaq was influenced to transfer to the Gulf nation after he fulfilled lots of Omanis while working as a translator for Arab travelers in Kerala, who spoke neither Kerala’s language of Malayam, nor English.
Razzaq learnt Arabic while at university in Kerala, amazed by the Arab world and culture.
“I picked to come here,” the sprightly salesperson informed Al Jazeera, explaining Omanis as the “finest” individuals.
Razzaq showed up in Oman on a visitor’s visa and when he discovered work at the souq, his employer, an Indian financier who owns numerous shops in the market, sponsored him.
Almost 3 years later on, he is the most well-informed supplier, his associates state, smooth-talking his method with potential purchasers of the stores’ lots of ornaments and baubles.
“I’m certified, you understand,” Razzaq described with an air of self-confidence. “I can speak Arabic, I understand how to handle individuals, how to service them, how to appreciate them.”
Razzaq is simply among the lots of South Asian suppliers at the ancient market in what was traditionally Oman’s primary industrial centre, tactically situated near the port that was a pitstop for ships from Europe heading to India and China.
Today, Muttrah is mainly a property and fishing location. And while travelers do flock to its dynamic souq, it is quite a market for residents who buy whatever from gold to materials, to daily home products.