After Mohammed Al-Fazari participated in the 2011 Arab Spring protests in Oman, calling for democracy, separation of power, rule of law, equality, transparency and a new constitution, he faced numerous arbitrary arrests and interrogations, including "insulting the sultan". Inspired by the Arab Spring, Al-Fazari founded Muwatin on June 6, 2013, out of the belief in the importance of having wider and free freedom of expression for the Omani and Arab voices. The work began on a voluntary basis, as funding could not be obtained inside Oman due to the network's editorial policy, and funding from abroad was prohibited by the Omani law due to Muwatin's content dealing with issues of freedom and human rights.