Dhofar Mountains

The Dhofar Mountains are a mountain chain in southern Oman running parallel to the Arabian Sea in Dhofar Governorate. The range includes upland plateaus and peaks rising to roughly 2,100 metres and is notable for its seasonal climate contrast.

During the Khareef monsoon season, from around June to September, the slopes and foothills become markedly cooler and greener than the surrounding desert, attracting visitors to towns such as Salalah and to mountain viewpoints. The area supports relict woodlands and frankincense-bearing trees in some valleys.

The Dhofar Mountains have been part of historic trade routes for frankincense and other goods for millennia; the region’s ecology and human use have long been shaped by the trade in frankincense and by local pastoralism. The mountains continue to support small-scale agriculture and grazing in suitable valleys.

The range runs close to the coast near the city of Salalah in southern Oman, forming a near-coastal highland zone that overlooks the Arabian Sea.

• Khareef season: Subject to the Khareef monsoon from about June to September, which creates seasonal fog, cooler temperatures and conspicuous summer greenery in an otherwise arid region.
• High elevations: Contains high plateaus and peaks reaching around 2,100 metres where the climate and vegetation contrast markedly with the coastal plain below.

What to See #

• Jebel Samhan: Jebel Samhan is the range's highest massif, rising to roughly 2,100 metres and offering the steepest cliffs and upland plateaus in the Dhofar Mountains.