



“There are good qualities that can be used as medicines. They can be chewed as gum and in Omani society the gum is used to treat many diseases, from stomach ailments to ailments of the skin,” she said.
All the frankincense items in her shop are not from Oman. Many have come from Somalia and Yemen. “The Omani qualities, particularly from Salalah, are the best and are great in demand from visitors who come to Salalah from the GCC countries.”
Khareef is the season when frankincense shop owners at Hafa do brisk business. “The reason being less supply of frankincense due to rains in mountains and big demand due to arrival of visitors from many countries,” says Laila.
Khareef is such a busy season for Laila that she does not get time to eat and sleep. Other family members also chip in. This is the time they make maximum money out of their business.
Her shop has good quality jafran and sandalwood perfumes as well as wood oil made only for women.
There are four main varieties of frankincense in Salalah. Houzry is found in Jabal Saham (Hasik) and sells at RO 25 per kg. Sizry, found in Hasik, sells at RO 2.5 per kg. Negdi is found in and around Thumrait and sells between RO 2.5 and RO 3. The fourth quality is Shabia, which is available for RO 3 per kg, and found in Mughsayl.
A popular incense ingredient, olibanum is a balsamic resin, also known as frankincense. The extract is produced by Boswellia trees. Used in homoeopathic medicine, olibanum is also an ingredient in pharmaceutical drugs and in several varieties of perfumes. The origin of olibanum lies in the Arabic word alban or ‘milk’.
In modern times, olibanum is burnt as incense during religious ceremonies for creating a fragrant atmosphere. Olibanum oil is also an important base ingredient in perfumes, pharmaceuticals (anti-inflammation) and cosmetics. Olibanum is very important for Dhofari society as it is the main source of income for many in the region.
Frankincense to this day, remains as an integral part of Omani heritage and culture.