2 days ago
Salt harvest spotlights traditional techniques
TEXT & PHOTOS BY YAHYA AL SALMANI
While temperatures remain high, salt extraction is currently underway in large quantities along Oman's coastal areas, stretching from Al Batinah Plain to the Wilayat of Mahout. Production typically declines by November as temperatures drop.
Basins ranging from 20 to 40 cm deep and varying in size are spread across these coastal plains. They are filled with seawater, which undergoes natural evaporation to produce salt. The harvested salt is then dried, purified of impurities and stored in cloth or plastic bags before being distributed to local markets.
The entire process of drying and collecting salt takes about two weeks during summer, extending to around a month in winter. Consequently, summer is considered the ideal season for salt production, with peak temperatures accelerating evaporation. Sources indicate that summer salt extraction in the Wilayat of Qurayat alone can reach up to 400 tonnes per month. Other notable traditional production sites include Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, Masirah and Mahout, where large quantities of high-quality salt are also produced.
Omani researcher Saleh al Farsi highlights that, historically, salt was transported on donkeys and camels to local markets and exported by sea on wooden ships to ports in India and East Africa. Salt has always been a staple commodity of significant economic value, used extensively in fish preservation and consistently in demand from manufacturing industries, particularly petroleum and chemical sectors.
Each salt basin yields approximately 35 kg. The Duqm Salts Factory, located around 80 km from Duqm Port, is the first of its kind in Oman. It produces raw and industrial salt for companies operating in oil fields. According to sources, the factory currently meets 22 per cent of local demand and approximately 70 per cent of the oil fields' needs for high-quality industrial salt.
These sprawling basins, with their striking white mounds and prepared containers, often draw the attention of visitors and tourists. Workers in these fields have expressed concerns about the impact of urban expansion on this traditional industry. They urge the relevant authorities to prioritise preserving this heritage, which they consider an integral resource supporting the national economy.
