"She turned me into a newt!"

Two African Nationals Arrested for - get this - *Sorcery*

First, let me just explain the source: I have a burning curiosity about Oman and the "black box" status in most Middle East studies courses. So, an effort to remain abreast of internal Omani current events has really turned into a form of entertainment. The Times of Oman is either run by the Sultanate or heavily censored by it, because the headlines that come out of that paper would make any local paper question if that is really news.

Now, back to the sorcery.

Oman has been actively working on "Omanization" where legislation/royal decrees are issued to make hosting foreign national workers more difficult for businesses operating in Oman. Quotas for local employment percentage, higher fees for visas, and stricter requirements are among the few things I've seen implemented. Of the history I know through several RAND reports from the 1990s, this is consistent with the forward vision Sultan Qaboos has for modernizing Oman.

Beyond just being suspiciously bland headlines, the articles are not much more than long headlines. This one caught my eye because it made me wonder if it was evidence of a racial/cultural pecking order.

As is the nature of this area, there are only questions, so feel free to speculate with me:

Oman has been free from the criticism that has befallen Saudi Arabia and Qatar as far as the foreign workers, but is that a result of their near media blackout or because something is handled differently?

If they're the same, as I suspect they are, is this a kind of African-orientalist perspective? After reading the article, the two people were arrested under fraud charges - sorcery was not mentioned at all. So why write the article that way?

If this is a sense of superiority to Africans (whether due to race or culture), are guest workers from other Asian countries treated differently/better?