Mahmoud Macki – who has left us forever
By Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali
I received the news of the passing away of Engineer Mahmoud bin Abdulnabi Macki with a deep grief in my heart and tears in my eyes. Engineer Mahmoud Macki is my friend, brother and, above all, a true human being. He has been faithful, generous, and of high manners. He has been thus since the time I knew him way back in 1947 as an elementary school pupil (First Grade) till the time of his sad demise. Death is a fact of life, but I was still shocked to hear the news because Mahmoud Suleiman and I were near him only 45 minutes prior to his passing away. I had known Engineer Mahmoud Macki since childhood, right from the time he was a student of Al Saidya School in Muscat. In July 1953, we travelled together to Bahrain on an Indian vessel Daressa. We were accompanied by our teacher, Ahmed Salam Al Juma. From Bahrain we separated and went our different ways: I went to Saudi Arabia, while Mahmoud, after his summer vacations, returned to Muscat to continue his education here. Upon completing his schooling from the Saidya School, he went back to Kuwait in 1954 for further studies. There he joined Shawaikh Secondary School. He remained there till he completed his secondary school education in 1959. Afterwards, he left for Cairo and joined Ain Shams University. There, along with some Omani students, he joined the Agricultural College of the same university. After graduating as an agricultural engineer, in 1965, he went to Dubai, where he worked as a teacher at Al Shab School. During his stay in Dubai, he lived in a building named Jawaharat Nawal, in Dr Mohammed Shaheen Street in Al Duqy locality. A couple of years later, he left the teaching profession and joined the Sharjah government as an agricultural engineer. This was in 1968. He worked as an agricultural engineer until his return to Muscat in the third quarter of 1970. After coming back, he engaged himself in private business. Soon, in 1973, he was appointed as a director (agricultural engineering) in the Diwan of Royal Court. From there he quickly clambered to the posts of director-general, chief and then finally as adviser to the Diwan, a post he held till his demise. We wish the departed soul that he rest in peace and pray to God to give strength to his family and friends.
[Times of Oman - Wednesday 22nd September 2004]
