date palm in Oman

Dates are a popular food across the Middle East. In Oman, dates hold such a place of honor in the national culture and cuisine that they are showcased in the National Museum in Muscat. They are a sign of hospitality, served both on greeting and after every meal.

To fertilize the palm trees and harvest the dates, men wrap a harness made of palm fiber rope around their waists and climb up the trees which can grow up to 75 feet tall.