Tanuf vineyard yields promising harvest

A grape farm in Tanuf, a historic and scenic village in Wilayat Nizwa, has completed a successful first production season, pointing to fresh potential for grape cultivation as part of Oman’s agricultural diversification efforts.
The achievement comes as Oman’s grape sector continues to gain momentum, particularly in the North Al Sharqiyah Governorate, where the annual Grape Festival in Samad Al Shan showcases the beauty of agriculture and the rich heritage of the land. The festival is expected to attract thousands of visitors and highlights more than 50 varieties of distinctive Omani grapes, reflecting growing interest in local production and agricultural innovation.
The farm, owned by Sheikh Hood Al Nabhani, cultivates more than 1,000 vines selected carefully to balance quality, productivity and long-term sustainability.
Oman is home to a range of grape varieties with strong market and production value, including Muscat Italia and Crimson. The farm, however, chose to build its production around the Halawani variety, a premium and deeply rooted local cultivar, a decision that the first season’s results have firmly vindicated.
Issa Al Riyami, who supervises the vineyard, said the season’s results had exceeded expectations. “The first production year is usually a stage of testing and evaluation, yet what we achieved in fruit quality and production level reflects the success of planning and continuous care,” he said, describing the season as a promising step toward larger goals in the years ahead.

Halawani emerged as the farm’s standout variety, with some clusters reaching around 3.5 kilogrammes. Al Riyami said the variety is heat-tolerant and valued for its balanced sweetness, high fruit quality and strong demand in local markets, making it one of the cultivars the farm relies on most.
He attributed the success in Tanuf to the area’s natural advantages, including a relatively moderate climate and available water resources, alongside modern agricultural practices in pruning, fertilisation and irrigation.
Al Riyami identified the main challenge as establishing the project entirely through private effort, without notable support from the relevant agricultural bodies, in addition to high construction and operating costs. He said those difficulties served as motivation to prove the experiment could succeed.
The farm is holding back production figures until the season and harvest are fully complete, though current indicators point to encouraging results. Future plans include measured expansion through larger planted areas and new high-value varieties to strengthen local output.
The farm has drawn wider attention online after a visit by social media influencer Dawood Al Kadiisi, who highlighted the success of grape growing in Oman.
The success of projects such as the Tanuf vineyard mirrors broader efforts across the Sultanate to develop the agricultural sector, support local farmers and showcase the quality of national produce. Events such as the Samad Al Shan Grape Festival have become important platforms for promoting Omani grapes and encouraging investment in sustainable agriculture.
“Agriculture is not merely producing crops,” Al Riyami said. “It is an investment in the land, the people and the future.”