(MENAFN - Muscat Daily) 2018-1-16"/> January 16, 2018 Omani gentleman Mahmoud bin Yousef Temtemi found himself in a pastoral predicament this autumn - his neighbour's flock of sheep had overrun his farm and gobbled up his crops, threatening his income.

dressed in a dishdasha and kummah, temtemi took his place on a sunny friday morning at his neighbourhood sabla in the village of ghala - held outdoors on a patch of sidewalk.'the farm is our livelihood,' temtemi told while attending the meeting. 'i told myself i would lodge a complaint at the sabla, where the owner of the sheep would be present.'in ghala, just outside the capital muscat, the sheikh humbly brings breakfast for meetings of the council. the youngest serves coffee. the fellowship broke the ice for the mediation temtemi sought. acknowledging a problem needed to be solved, the men filed over to the meeting hall - a sparse room with little more than benches built into the walls.

the elders listened to the farmer's story, discussed, then decided on compensation from the sheep owner.'he will pay ro150 and keep an eye on his sheep,' said a satisfied temtemi.oman's sabla is a unique form of consensus building that many see as central to the gulf nation's traditions, and which some want to see adapted to the age of the smartphone.'this council is where the old and young come to learn. the youth learn manners from their elders,' grey-bearded sayeed bin khalfan nabhani said.

nabhani said the history of the sabla goes back 'ages', but some 40 years ago - after his majesty sultan qaboos bin said took power in oman - it was granted a degree of government recognition.'from the early 1970s, you had the governor and judge sitting at thecouncil, along with witnesses and people of the villages - plus the person with the problem,' said nabhani.a solution is often found before the judge is called to get involved, he said.