TAIF: Something wonderful happens annually in the city of Taif, which is situated over Al-Hada Mountain above Makkah and on the eastern slopes of the Sarawat Mountains. Known locally as the “City of Roses,” each year, Taif bursts into bloom with thousands of soft pink, fragrant roses.
For years, roses have played an important part in various Saudi ceremonies, including weddings and formal occasions. Today, the roses are harvested across Taif and then turned into rose oil and water.
The Taif Rose Festival is held in celebration of this harvest and is currently taking place until May 5.
The third Taif Rose Festival kicked off recently, honoring the city’s rich cultural legacy as a popular tourist destination in the Makkah region and attracting the participation of both locals and tourists.
Around 1 million people gather in and around Taif to witness the festival’s joyous atmosphere.
The festival is organized by the Ministry of Culture to celebrate the cultural and creative values that have been associated with the Taif rose for nine centuries, in collaboration with the Taif Municipality and with funding from the Quality of Life Program, a Saudi Vision 2023 Realization Program.
The festival also provides a platform for local business to showcase their rose-based products.
Ahmed Al-Madani, who traveled all the way from Madinah along with his family, told Arab News that the festival is a must-visit for everyone.
“I am happy to have come all the way from Madinah to enjoy a variety of engaging events,” he said, referencing the various areas dedicated to food, performances, children’s activities and more.
Among the aims of the festival is that of empowering local men and women to develop their skills in cultivating roses and improve their products.
At one of the many stalls selling fragrant roses, 52-year-old Walid Al-Boadani, who has been in the business for 20 years, said that the activities of the Taif Rose Festival have allowed rose farmers to gain much experience.
Khalid Al-Amri, a resident of the Shifa area in Taif and a specialist in Taif roses, told Arab News that his passion for the flowers began in childhood, growing up among the roses of his parents and grandparents.
While it remains a mystery as to how the Taif rose arrived in the area, Al-Amri said it is believed to have come with visiting delegations to the Arabian Peninsula, specifically the Hijaz area, while others say that it has Indian, Damascene or Turkish origins.
“Rose farms across Taif produce nearly 850 tons of rose water yearly with 40,000 tolas of rose oil,” Al-Amri explained. “Each tola is made from 12,000 roses.”
Various events were held on the sidelines of the festival to inform visitors and tourists of the culture surrounding the Taif rose and to render the festival an important economic contributor to sustainable development in the Kingdom.
Investment in Taif roses in the Saudi market reached over SAR64 million ($17 million), with rose farms in the Sarawat Mountains in the governorate of Taif harvesting about 550 million roses annually, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
This year, the Ministry of Culture introduced for the first time the Taif Rose Festival Forum under the theme “Roses from Taif to the World,” which aimed to provide a platform for rose farmers and administrators to collaborate with leading brands, accelerating the export of Taif roses to international markets.
The event spanned two days and brought together renowned Saudi and international speakers to discuss cutting-edge topics related to the fragrance industry.
In addition to the expert panel discussions, Saudi and international trainers presented specialized workshops on perfumery-related topics.
Furthermore, the forum held an exhibition, bringing together prominent international brands, rose farmers, and investors to discuss rose production, innovative farming methods, and opportunities for cooperation to benefit the industry.
Taif bursts into color as annual Rose Festival kicks off
https://arab.news/4w8j6
Taif bursts into color as annual Rose Festival kicks off
- The Taif Rose Festival is held in celebration of this harvest and is currently taking place until May 5
- Around 1 million people gather in and around Taif to witness the festival’s joyous atmosphere
Turaif traces historical, cultural mosaic to pre-Islamic era
- Evidence of Stone Age settlements in the region
- Has Tapline, Kingdom’s first industrial heritage site
TURAIF: Located in Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region, Turaif governorate stands as a crossroads of ancient civilizations and a gateway to Iraq and the Levant.
The governorate is home to a range of rich cultural and heritage sites, many of which date back to pre-Islamic times.
Among the most prominent heritage landmarks is the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, situated 40 km southwest of the governorate.
Adjacent to it lies a mountain known as Aqran, also referred to as Duqrah Mount, which has been recorded under the Comprehensive Archaeological Survey Program.
Zahi Al-Khalawi, a member of the Saudi Historical Society, said the site is among the Kingdom’s most significant archaeological locations because there is evidence of human settlements dating to the Stone Age.
He said habitation at the site continued through the later Roman period (2 to 6 centuries C.E.) and persisted into the Umayyad era (661 to 750 C.E.).
Another landmark is the Trans-Arabian Pipeline, or Tapline, one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant industrial heritage sites.
The pipeline stretches from the east of the Kingdom to its north, passing through Turaif, and has been registered in the National Industrial Heritage Register.
It is the first documented industrial heritage site in the Kingdom, representing the early stages of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry and its developmental and economic significance.
Also noteworthy is the culturally significant site of Qaru Turaif, a water source developed by the Tapline Co. in the 1950s to help settle nomadic communities by order of the late King Abdulaziz.
To the east of Turaif, about 25 km away, stands Jabal Umm Waal, a historic landmark and northern gateway into the Arabian Peninsula.
The mountain tells the stories of Bedouin life and the passage of trade caravans and pilgrims traveling from the Levant and Iraq. For centuries, it served as a safe route for travelers making their way southward.
Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s call for sovereignty over occupied West Bank
- Kingdom’s foreign ministry said the move would violate international laws
RIYADH: A government minister’s threat for Israel to apply full sovereignty over the occupied West Bank was strongly condemned by Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Kingdom “condemned and denunciated” the statement made by the Israeli official calling for the imposition of sovereignty over the Palestinian territory.
Such action would be a violation of international law, the statement said. Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to expand settlements on Palestinian land, the ministry added, while reiterating the Kingdom’s position on the importance of Israel abiding by international resolutions.
The statement followed comments from Israel’s Justice Minister Yariv Levin saying “the time has come” for Israel to apply sovereignty across the West Bank.
Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967 and has built dozens of settlements, deemed illegal under international law, across the territory.
The Saudi foreign ministry offered its support for the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate rights and in establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Saudi ministry recalls faulty chargers over fire risk
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce has announced the recall of 88,518 Anker portable chargers across multiple models due to a potential internal electrical short circuit that may cause overheating and pose a fire risk.
The ministry urged consumers to immediately stop using the affected products and contact Anker at the toll-free number 8008500030 to arrange a replacement or full refund, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Consumers can check if their device is included in the recall and start the replacement or refund process by visiting anker.com/mmrc2506.
Users are also advised to verify the model number of their charger against the list of affected products on the Defective Products Recall Center website ecalls.sa.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to consumer safety and stressed the importance of promptly addressing product defects to prevent potential hazards.
GCC passports departments chiefs hold meeting
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi participated in the 39th Meeting of the Directors-General of Passports of the GCC countries, held on Wednesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh.
During the meeting, he reviewed the latest developments, including the Gulf visa project.
The passport departments of the interior ministries of GCC countries, through a series of joint meetings, are making efforts to launch a unified tourist visa project in the near future, the General Secretariat said in a report.
“Everyone is working as one team to keep pace with technological developments and security requirements in a world characterised by rapid change,” Albudaiwi said.
Saudi FM discusses regional developments in call with US secretary of state
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with his US counterpart Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the call, Prince Faisal and Rubio reviewed US-Saudi relations and ways to enhance the strategic partnership between their countries. The latest regional and international developments were also discussed.
