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.