Ayn Dawkah

Wadi Dawkah, (OM) In construction
2025
In progress
Architecture

Emerging from the Land: Ayn Dawkah, Wadi Dawkah’s Visitor Centre and Manufacture. Designed by Giò Forma Studio and F&M Middle East

Emerging from the Land: Ayn Dawkah, Wadi Dawkah’s Visitor Centre and Manufacture

Presented during the #AmouageVoyage, we witnessed a milestone that will shape the future of Wadi Dawkah and the legacy of Omani #frankincense: the foundation stone–laying ceremony of Ayn Dawkah, the new AMOUAGE Visitor’s Centre and Manufacture rising at the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From afar, the building appears almost like a polished rock emerging from the valley; up close, its monolithic circular form reveals itself — a structure conceived to feel as though it has always belonged to the land.

Designed by Giò Forma Studio (Milan) and F&M Middle East Engineering Consultancy (Oman), its rammed-earth textures, dry stone, and burnished tones echo the Dhofari landscape, enclosing a central frankincense garden and framing the wadi through sculpted sightlines. A modern landmark rooted in ancient terrain.

The ceremony was held in the presence of His Highness Sayyid Marwan bin Turki Al Said, Governor of Dhofar, and Sayyid Khalid Al Busaidi, Chairman of Amouage, as well as Marco Parsiegla, Chief Executive Officer of Amouage — marking the first tangible step toward creating a destination that will protect, study, and celebrate frankincense in all its dimensions: biology, archaeology, craft, tradition, and perfumery. A place where visitors will soon witness distillation firsthand, explore centuries of history, and immerse themselves in the scent that shaped civilisations.

Ayn Dawkah is expected to open in Spring 2027 — a new chapter for frankincense, for Dhofar, and for Amouage’s long-term vision for responsible, transparent, and meaningful stewardship of this sacred ingredient.

Render of the circular visitor centre on a rocky outcrop at dusk, with a curving walkway and glazed front – Ayn Dawkah Visitor Centre and Manufacture, Wadi Dawkah, Oman, 2025 – architecture, under construction
Render of a rust-coloured Wadi Dawkah signpost, with the circular building on the distant plain – Ayn Dawkah Visitor Centre and Manufacture, Wadi Dawkah, Oman, 2025 – architecture, under constructionRender of the rammed-earth drum seen from below, a glazed slot with stairs cutting through the rock base – Ayn Dawkah Visitor Centre and Manufacture, Wadi Dawkah, Oman, 2025 – architecture, under construction
Aerial render of the ring-shaped building around a central courtyard, set on a rock spur in the desert valley – Ayn Dawkah Visitor Centre and Manufacture, Wadi Dawkah, Oman, 2025 – architecture, under construction