Al-Lawatia (, sing. Lawati) is a tribe primarily based in the province of Muscat, Oman. Lawatis are a prominent tribe. Many Lawati families of successful merchants of the past are now involved in large multi-faceted corporations participating in the development of the region. Origins The Lawatia (or Lawatiyya) community in Muttrah in Muscat are of Ismaili origins. Lawatis are traders and merchants by profession, Lawatis travelled the world for trade and ultimately settled in some of the countries to oversee their businesses, Shia Islam in the 19th century from Ismaili Shia islam . Demographics and role in the Persian Gulf The majority of Lawatis reside in Muscat, the capital of Oman, but some live on the coast of Al-Batina. Some Lawati families reside elsewhere in the Persian Gulf region such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. Traditionally, Al-Lawatia have been known as prominent merchants on the coasts of Muttrah which lies 2 kilometers west of Muscat. They have worked in the incense (), jewelry and clothes business as well as in general trade. The community occupies a gated quarter of Muttrah known as Sur al-Lawatia. The quarter still boasts attractive houses with a unique Islamic architectural view and a large mosque known as Al-Rasul Al-Aadam Mosque or The Greatest Prophets Mosque in reference to Muhammad. The Sur has seen a major exodus in recent decades as Lawatis have moved to more modern neighborhoods as a result of increasing development, the availability of facilities and growing wealth and business of the community. Another great historic monument built by the tribe is Al-Zahra Mosque in the UAE, which was built nearly 300 years ago There are estimated to be eighty thousand Lawatiyya dispersed over the gulf. In the predominantly Ibadhi Sunni arena of Oman, they make up the majority of the local Shia population. It is believed the Lawatis traveled to Oman many years ago from ancient Hyderabad, appearing in Oman as early as the 1600s Through the 1700s and later, Lawatiyya quickly developed an impressive trade industry in the local Matrah port, selling everything from incense to jewelry. They even began to occupy their own quarter of the harbor called Sur al-Lawatiyya (sur meaning enclosure), which was constructed into beautiful aqua tiled town houses that have been preserved to this day. Many wealthy Lawati families have moved out to suburban areas, but the mosque in Matrah remains the