Emerging from the Land: Amouage lays the foundational stone of Ayn Dawkah – Wadi Dawkah’s Visitor Centre and Manufacture
From a distance, it almost looks like a vast, polished rock, blending in the colours and shapes of the Wadi Dawkah UNESCO Heritage Site. But getting closer, the eyes can discern its precise silhouette – a circular, monolithic form emerging from the rock like it has always been there. A monument born from the land. Its rammed earth, dry stone, and burnished desert tones harmonise with the Qara mountain horizon. Circularity governs everything: sightlines, movement, time. Seen from the above, it almost looks like an eye, a watchful sentinel protecting the sanctuary of Frankincense trees. It is the “Eye of Dawkah” – Ayn Dawkah.
The vision and plans for the building that will bear this name have long guided its architects and creative teams. Today, those plans take their first concrete step with a symbolic ceremonial milestone: during an unprecedented event held at Wadi Dawkah, Amouage laid the foundational stone of Ayn Dawkah. The ceremony took place under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Marwan bin Turki Al Said, Governor of Dhofar, and was attended by Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Chairman of Amouage; Sayyid Aymen bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Vice Chairman of Amouage; His Excellency Engineer Ibrahim Al Kharousi, Undersecretary for Heritage at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, alongside members of the Amouage management and distinguished guests.
Wadi Dawkah, one of the four landmarks of the Land of Frankincense UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been under the custody of Amouage since 2022, when the independent Omani High Perfumery House signed an agreement with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. This partnership entrusts Amouage with the responsibility to develop the site respectfully, creating a responsible Frankincense sourcing process and, more broadly, a place that protects, studies and celebrates this iconic ingredient in all its facets.
“The establishment of Ayn Dawkah is part of a broader vision for Amouage to serve as a patron of Wadi Dawkah,” said Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad Al Busaidi. We understand the immense responsibility of being custodians of a UNESCO World Heritage site and of what it represents both for Oman and for global heritage. As a House rooted in Oman, we are proud to contribute to the future of our country, combining a respectful, authentic and transparent approach to nature with a bold creative vision that resonates on the international stage.”
Ayn Dawkah will house the Visitor Centre and Manufacture of Wadi Dawkah. It will serve as a receptacle of projects celebrating Frankincense under different angles, through biology, archaeology, traditions, art, present challenges, and future aspirations. The visitors will discover the legends surrounding Frankincense over the centuries, learn about its global reach and its multiple uses in history including medicine, rituals, diplomatic gifts, trade and, of course, perfumery. An immersive room within the visitors’ journey will highlight its fragrant smoke, one of the first perfumes known in history.
The circular building is conceived as a continuation of its environment. Designed by Giò Forma Studio (Milan), its shapes, colours and textures draw deeply from the language of the Dhofari landscape.
Ayn Dawkah is expected to open to the public in Spring 2027, welcoming visitors from Oman and around the world to immerse themselves in the rich and fascinating world of Frankincense. For more information on Wadi Dawkah, visit www.wadidawkah.com.