Vision

Suad Silkroad was born from a question: why is one of the world's most powerful natural ingredients so unknown outside of Somalia?

Frankincense and myrrh have been harvested in the Horn of Africa for thousands of years. Somalia's land — Dhulkii Lubaanta, the Land of Frankincense — sits at the origin of the ancient Silk Road trade routes that carried these resins across the world. The people who cultivate them have been doing so for generations. And yet, most of the value has always left with the middlemen.

We started Suad Silkroad in Ottawa in 2017 to change that. In January 2018, we opened our first branch in Garowe, Puntland — directly inside the communities where the resins are sourced. We work with over 50 local suppliers, fair-trade, no intermediaries.

Today, Dhulkii Lubaanta is two things at once: a skincare brand that brings the healing properties of frankincense and myrrh directly to your skin, and an export company that connects those same Somali suppliers to global markets on their own terms.

The mission hasn't changed. Restore what was always there. Return the value to where it came from.