Rose Cultivation in the Kingdom

Rose Cultivation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the agricultures that spread in the Kingdom, starting from the stage of planting seedlings to the manufacturing of final rose products, such as perfumes and essential oils. Taif Governorate in Makkah al-Mukarramah Province is renowned for Taif roses, while al-Madinah al-Munawwarah is renowned for Madini roses, both becoming distinctive trademarks for them.

Taif Governorate has 860 farms producing about five hundred million roses annually, in addition to forty-five factories manufacturing rose products. Rose seedlings are planted in Taif starting in December, which is the appropriate time to plow, fertilize, and water rose fields. In mid-January when temperatures in the governorate drop to about five degrees Celsius, the pruning of rose bushes begins in preparation for the flowering season in the spring. The rose-picking season in Taif begins at the end of March, and lasts between thirty-five and forty-five days, with farms producing about seventy thousand roses daily.

Taif rose cultivation is concentrated in al-Shafa, al-Hada, Wadi al-'Amq, Wadi al-Bunni, and Wadi Mehrem, in addition to Tuwayriq and al-Mukhaddah. Taif is famous for cultivating two types of roses. The first is the Taif rose, which has a light red color and a strong scent, and the second is the deep red rose. While the rose crop is taken after its harvest to local factories, it goes through several stages of manufacturing. It is transformed into fragrant products, such as rose water, rose fragrance, and al-arous water, in addition to essential oils, soap, air fresheners, and scented tissues. Producing one tola of Taif rose perfume requires about thirteen thousand roses.

The cultivation of the Madini rose tree in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah Province begins at the end of the winter season. It is planted and propagated through cuttings or layering in the soil or aerial layering. It is a perennial tree that starts flowering six months after planting, and as the tree ages, its production increases.

Rose farms in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah are distinguished by their production throughout the seasons of the year, being abundant in moderate climates closest to cold, and decreasing as the temperature rises in the summer. After two years of planting, the tree undergoes a pruning process, where high stems are cut, and their length is restored to about half a m. This process is beneficial for the appearance of more buds and stems than before every new year, and an increase in the vegetative growth of the tree. Madini roses are used in the manufacture of the finest types of fragrance, raw rose oil, and rose water, which are used in cosmetics and adornment.

The rose tree is planted in various provinces in the Kingdom to conduct research experiments and identify the most suitable places and conditions for its cultivation. About one hundred Taif rose seedlings were planted in Wadi Bin Hashbal in Aseer Province. The planting experiment is also contuned by conducting cultivation comparisons in some other sites, including al-Madinah al-Munawwarah Province, and Sikaka Governorate in al-Jawf Province.

On May 18, 2022, Taif Rose Basket, which included more than 84,000 roses from about twenty-six species, set a new record in the Guinness Book of World Records, as the largest rose basket in the world. The basket reached about 12.1 m in length, 7.98 m in width, and about 1.3 m in height. Materials of iron, cork, plastic, and wood were used in its manufacture. These materials, including roses, are recyclable. The basket was built with the participation of 190 young men and women from Taif Governorate, who took about 168 hours to make it.

The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture provides its services in the field of Taif rose cultivation, to increase its cultivated areas, develop the rose industry, and support its manufacturing industries. It also highlights investment opportunities in this sector, supports its farms through the initiatives of the Sustainable Rural Development Program, and provides direct financial support to rose farmers through the 'Reef' program. Additionally, it offers financial support and initiatives for training and qualification in industries, for rural families interested in the field of roses. They benefit from international experiences in rose cultivation methods, distillation, and its various uses in medicine and commerce.

Taif rose industry goes through several stages until the final products are reached, such as rose water and fragrance, and al-arous water, which has a concentration of rose scent reaching about 80 percent, while al-thinwi has 50 percent, and al-saier has 20 percent. Producing one tola of Taif rose perfume requires about thirteen thousand roses. Taif rose water and fragrance are made by placing about thirteen thousand roses in a rose cooking pot and lighting a fire under it. The steam generated from the cooking collects and comes out from a pipe in the pot's lid to a water vessel to cool the steam. This causes the steam to condense and then drops emerge into what is called (al-talqeia). Then rose water is extracted after adding an amount of regular water or al-arous rose water. The rose distillation process involves boiling twelve thousand roses in copper pots with forty l of water, adding al-arous or al-thinwi water to it, covering the pot, and cooking it over the fire for seven hours. During boiling, the water vapor comes out into cooling pipes that condense it turning it into liquid water droplets.