In Oman, efforts to preserve frankincense 'equivalent to oil'

Oman is stepping up efforts to preserve its frankincense heritage, a resource long regarded as historically equivalent to oil, in the arid Dawkah Valley of the southern Dhofar region.

The valley, near the border with Yemen, contains the world’s largest reserve of frankincense trees, numbering about 5,000 to 6,000. Harvesting is tightly managed, with only a limited number of trees tapped and cuts reduced to protect long-term productivity.

Authorities have also launched conservation projects to relocate frankincense trees from threatened areas into the Dawkah Valley reserve, where more than 600 have already been replanted.  The efforts aim to safeguard a resource that has supported local livelihoods and trade for centuries.