Tourism
The city of Salalah is known as the “perfume capital of Arabia”.[citation needed] The city is a popular destination for tourism due to the natural attractions of the nearby mountains and abundant stands of frankincense trees lining mountain wadi courses. Around the city and into the mountains the countryside is lush and green during the monsoon period with the vegetation supporting herds of cattle. The climate supports wildlife often more commonly associated with East Africa, such as leopards and hyenas.Also plants associated with Afrika are common.These include the [Baobab] tree and others.Salalah and surrounding areas is one of the few ancient areas on the Arabian peninsula that have extensive coconut cultivation since ancient times.The coconut cultivars grown are usually of the tall varieties and its nuts are mostly sold as tender coconut for drinking.
The beautiful beaches and coastline are also major attractions for scuba diving and bird watching.
Salalah is a city of antiquity, boasting both the ruins of the fortified town Sumharam, an important port from 100 BC – AD 400, and the alleged resting place of Job (Arabic "Ayoub") in nearby Jabal Gadu. It is also the alleged resting place of Nabi Imranfather of Hazrat Maryam. Modern Oman is also represented by the Port of Salalah, located approximately 15 km to the southwest of the city. The strategic location of this port has made it one of the major entry points to India, the Middle East, and Africa.