The Omani Arabs of Djibouti

The Omani Arabs of Djibouti, numbering approximately 78,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are descendants of Omani migrants whose communities in Djibouti reflect longstanding historical connections between Oman and the East African coast. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Sanaani Arabic is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Arab, Omani

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Arab Peoples
Country: Djibouti
People Cluster: Arab, Arabian
Primary Language(s): Sanaani Arabic (ayn)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 78,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Unengaged and Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG042682
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Pray for the Omani Arabs of Djibouti

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

95%
%
Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Sanaani Arabic
Language Family: Afro-Asiatic

100%
%
Arabic, Sanaani Speakers

Media Resources in Sanaani Arabic:

Films:
TitleLink
The SaviorView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Sanaani Arabic:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Sanaani Arabic bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

Explore Lostness and Next Steps

Unengaged and Unreached

Strategic Priority Index (SPI): Unengaged and Unreached (SPI: 0), which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations among which there are no known efforts focused on establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.
Lostness Priority Index (LPI): Frontier Unreached People Group, (LPI: 0), < 0.1% Evangelical.
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity (GSEC: 1), this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years

Next steps for the Omani Arabs:
Begin signifcant prayer and fasting for this group
Send cross-cultural teams to discover and research this people group
Begin gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group

Pray specifically for the Omani Arabs of Djibouti

The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.
readMatthew 4:16

Pray that those living in darkness and the shadow of death will see a great light and turn to the Lord for salvation.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
read1 Timothy 2:1-2

Pray that leaders and those in authority will not thwart the spread of the gospel but put their faith in Christ, have hearts that are soft toward their people, and be freed from the temptations that power can bring.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
readColossians 3:2

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will set their minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, as they look to Christ for guidance and strength.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
read2 Corinthians 5:20

Pray that those God sends to cross cultures will be His ambassadors, faithfully imploring people on Christ's behalf to be reconciled to God through Jesus.

Arab, Omani Across Countries (ROP3 - 100431) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

5 people groups

PhotoPeople Group IDNameCountryPopulation ▼Strategic Progress IndexLanguageReligion
Omani ArabsOmani ArabsOman1,140,000Engaged yet UnreachedOmani ArabicFolk Islam
Omani ArabsOmani ArabsUnited Arab Emirates369,000Unengaged and UnreachedOmani ArabicSunni Islam
Omani ArabsOmani ArabsSaudi Arabia148,000Unengaged and UnreachedOmani ArabicSunni Islam
Omani ArabsOmani ArabsDjibouti78,500Unengaged and UnreachedSanaani ArabicSunni Islam
Omani ArabsOmani ArabsKuwait21,000Unengaged and UnreachedOmani ArabicSunni Islam

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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