Spinning wool: Still a source of livelihood for some families in Bidiya

For some Omani families, traditional crafts — it’s practise and growth — is actually one of the sources of livelihood for these families’ day to day living.

In the Wilayat of Adam in the Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah, there are many of these traditional crafts, including the craft of spinning wool, which is famous in the Wilayat of Bidiya, due to its association with camels and their decorations.

This traditional craft involves the spinning of natural or synthetic fibres together to form a thread, or a rope. The fibres are spun by hand using simple tools such as a spindle.

Sabha Al Direi said, “We have practiced the craft of spinning for decades, and we learned it from our parents and grandparents, and it is the source of our livelihood to us. We are still maintaining this work up to the present time using the old traditional methods, starting with cutting animal wool, then washing and cleaning it, drying and spinning it and then using the spindle machine to get the required threads.”

Al Direi added that several tools and products are made from these threads, such as camel kits in general, medals, bags, headbands, incense containers, and others. Industrial wool with multiple colours is currently used due to its availability in the market and ease of work with it, despite the big difference between it and the natural in quality and durability.

Sabha pointed out that the craft of palm fronds also exists. We make different types of containers of all sizes out of it. This work takes us more time and more effort, and the demand for it has decreased nowadays due to the reluctance of people to buy it due to its high price and the competition with the imported materials in the markets.

She added that the process of marketing all products was based on participation in events and festivals that are held in Adam and in neighbouring wilayat, especially in camel races, and in light of the current conditions of the Corona pandemic, there are currently no permanent outlets for selling artisan products.