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People group profile · PG011879

The Hobyot of Oman

The Hobyot of Oman, numbering about 225 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a small community of the mountainous Oman-Yemen border region of Dhofar, numbering only about 500, speaking the severely endangered Modern South Arabian language Hobyot, part of a family that also includes Mehri and Soqotri.

They are an indigenous people in the Arab, Arabian people cluster of the Arab Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Mehri.

Pray for the HobyotPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Hobyot people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Hobyot

Fast facts

Country
Oman
Population
225
Affinity group
Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
People cluster
Arab, Arabian
Primary language
Mehri (gdq)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
Strategic Progress Index ?
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Western Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Hobyot are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, 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.

  • Congregations exist No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Hobyot

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Sunni Islam · Islam

99% adherents

Primary language

Mehri · Afro-Asiatic family

100% speak Mehri

Gospel resources in Mehri

  • Bible available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Hobyot

  1. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  2. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  3. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  4. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.

Download a prayer guide

Hobyot in other countries

The same people is also reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
HobyotYemen550Unengaged and Unreached

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