In the Sultanate of Oman (an and country in the Arabian Gulo, pomegranate has been grown over the years in the mountainous area called al Jabal al Akhdar. Although pomegranate is a high-value fruit in Oman, there has been no reported study on the quality attributes of the locally grown cultivars. In this study, the physical and chemical properties of four locally grown pomegranate fruit cultivars relevant for postharvest handling and processing were determined. Significant differences in fruit size and skin colour, aril size and colour, juice content and titratable acidity were found among the cultivars. On the basis of kernel texture (hardness and toughness), the four pomegranate cultivars studies can be classified as 'hard' (Jabal 3 and wild) or 'soft' (Jabal 1 and Jabal 2). Pomegranate cultivars with higher aril toughness yielded less juice per 100 g seeds. The significantly very low sugar:acid ratio of the least commonly grown 'wild' pomegranate explains its characteristic intense 'sweet and sour' taste in comparison with the other cultivars studied. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.