Few Takers

Oman has a long history of handicrafts and it played an important role in its rural economy. In the past, the elderly in the rural population used to make handicrafts at their homes. They travelled long distances, sometimes on foot, to collect natural raw materials like wood, minerals to be used in their work.

Handicraft skills were very widespread throughout the rural population. However, this is not the case anymore. The number of craftsmen working from home has dropped putting these traditional skills on the verge of extinction.

For example, Mukhama, a cleaning brush, and Khasfa, a bag made from palm fronds used for storing dates made by traditional artisans are rare to find nowadays. These products are now commercially produced either by machines or foreign manpower.

“Before we used to buy Mukhama from an Omani woman who made them at her house. The cost was RO1 for 10 pieces. Now we get four pieces for RO1 from the souq because it is hard to find women working in such crafts”, said Naema Saleh Said, a housewife.

She said that the woman’s children are not interested in continuing with the profession practiced by their ancestors.

Yasser al Ghafri, a customer, said that many traditional products are available on the market but the quality and authenticity are missing.

“Plenty of handcraft products are seen in traditional souqs. But to get genuine products you have to get them from the skilled elderly Omanis in the rural areas”, he said.

Raya, a housewife, whose predecessors used to manufacture many products from palm fronds, said, “We grew up seeing them making beautiful things with their hands. Almost every item was home-made like leaf-made pots, ropes, or Khasfa for preparing Shuwa. As a result of modernity, our generation did not give importance for preserving the skills amid modern life and availability of alternatives”.

According to statistics from the Public Authority of Crafts Industry, there are 22,485 Omani craftsmen in the Sultanate working in different kinds of crafts.

They are supported by the Authority to keep up with their work, develop it, and even market it .

PACI exerts efforts to preserve and revive traditional crafts by developing executive plans and programmes and setting up economically feasible craft businesses.