How sustainable water use is helping Saudi Arabia's rose farms grow into a global industry
JEDDAH: Pink roses grown in Saudi Arabia are popular across the Arabian Peninsula for their expert cultivation, vibrant colours, alluring fragrance and the many luxury products derived from their petals, a multi-million dollar industry.
Two varieties of pink roses are grown in the Kingdom: the Madinah rose, which is a pale pink and grows all year round, thriving in warm and cool climates; and the Taif rose, also known as the Jori or Damascus rose, which only grows in spring.
The Tife produces more than 550 million flowers each harvest season, which lasts about 45 to 60 days. The rose picking season typically begins in late March or early April.
The 910 rose farms cover an area of over 270 hectares and have around 1.14 million rose plants in areas such as Al-Hada, Al-Shifa, Wadi Muharram, Al-Wahhat and Al-Wahid, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Products made from these flowers are widely popular, with a domestic market value of 64 million riyals ($17 million).
The Taif rose is a symbol of the region's natural beauty, known for its exquisite sweet fragrance, bright pink color and delicate petals. Grown at high altitudes, it thrives in the region's cool temperatures and rich soil.
Every spring, roses bloom in Tauf, turning the kingdom's vast desert areas into fragrant fields of pink flowers. (AFP Photo)
More than 60 farms and the families that run them attend the region's annual Rose Festival, typically held in April and May, where they showcase their produce for five days.
These fragrant plants have made this mountainous region the rose capital of the world, and were recognized in the 2022 Guinness World Records as the largest rose basket, containing 84,450 flowers.
To grow the industry, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has launched several projects, including the rehabilitation of farm terraces, the use of rainwater harvesting technologies and the sustainable rural agricultural development project.
A Saudi woman takes photos of a rose garden at the Bin Salman Farm in Taif on March 13, 2021. (AFP Photo)
The ministry also supports specialized agricultural cooperatives, such as the newly established Rose and Aromatic Plants Association. This support allows cooperatives to invest in ministry-owned land, produce essential oils, and benefit from agricultural development funds.
“The ministry is implementing various initiatives and plans to achieve global leadership in the rose industry in Taif and increase production to two billion roses by 2026,” Saleh Bin Dakhil, spokesman for the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, told Arab News.
You doknow?
• Typhoon produces more than 550 million flowers each harvest season, which lasts approximately 45-60 days.
• There is an area of more than 270 rai, 910 farms in the western part of the kingdom, with an area planted with 1.14 million trees.
• Rose oil-derived products have a domestic market value of Saudi Riyals 64 million ($17 million).
Recently, horticulturalists from the Agricultural Counseling Department were sent to Bulgaria, the Philippines and Thailand to learn about the latest rose oil production technologies and environmentally friendly farming practices.
Farmers will receive expert advice on best agricultural practices, with a dedicated pest control team that responds promptly to pesticide spraying requests to protect crops from potential threats.
Tourists pose with Taif roses at Bin Salman Farm in Taif on March 13, 2021. (AFP)
The Ministry also took the lead in constructing essential water infrastructure, including water tanks and barriers, while facilitating the establishment of irrigation networks to promote agricultural activities.
The Ministry stressed the importance of sustainable practices, encouraging small-scale rose farmers to adopt best agricultural practices and provided valuable insights into the use of advanced technologies and optimal rose production techniques, including essential oil extraction as part of the value chain development approach.
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“Taif province has long been recognized as a suitable and traditional location for growing Taif roses,” Bindakhil said.
“For generations, these roses have been cared for, passing on the tradition of harvesting, distilling and extracting rose oil and water. They have enjoyed the fragrant history of these roses in the cool climate and natural surroundings of the famous Jabal Ghazwan peak.”
One of the uses of rose water extracted from roses in Taif is to wash the Kaaba in Mecca every year, a tradition observed by the Saudi government.
The distillation process, which takes nine to 12 hours, is done using sealed copper pots. (AFP Photo)
The Kingdom has many factories and workshops for extracting and producing more than 80 rose extract products, including various fragrances and body care products.
The rose industry plays a key role in regional and local economic development, creating numerous employment and marketing opportunities and encouraging more women to enter the workforce.
To extract rose oil, bags containing thousands of rose petals are poured into a 90-liter copper pot, which is then sealed for a distillation process that takes 9 to 12 hours.
It takes 45,000 roses to extract the oil, which is then poured into 12-milliliter bottles. (AFP Photo)
It takes 45,000 roses to produce the oil, which is then poured into 12-milliliter bottles, starting at $400, depending on the season.
Founded in 1831, Al-Kamal is the oldest rose cosmetics and cleaning products factory in the Kingdom. Located in Al-Hada, Medina, it is run by Khalid Al-Kamal, whose family has worked in the company for generations.
“It is a profession that has been passed down from father to son, from generation to generation, and I am very proud to tell you that I am the seventh generation to carry on this legacy,” al-Gamal told Arab News in a 2021 interview.
Photo of the entrance to the Alkamal Rose Factory in Taif. (Shutterstock)
“Working in a rose farm requires a lot of delicacy, as the quality of roses depends on the soil and weather conditions, as well as the cultivation methods. I learned this from my ancestors, and now my three sons run the factory together with several other workers.”
With significant new government investments in promoting sustainable use of water resources, Saudi Arabia’s rose industry will undoubtedly continue to grow in the coming years.
