Saudi Arabia's Winter at Tantora festival gets underway at Al-Ula

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The landscape in Al-Ula. (Winter at Tantora)
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One of the petroglyphs in Al-Ula. (Winter at Tantora)
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Tantora, a sundial located in Al-Ula’s Old Town. (Winter at Tantora)
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The Wadi Al-Qura (the Valley of Villages), a lush oasis valley that runs through Al-Ula, sheltered by sandstone mountains. (Winter at Tantora)
Updated 21 December 2018
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Saudi Arabia's Winter at Tantora festival gets underway at Al-Ula

  • Festival visitors will be able to experience a range of activities including a celebration of the winter planting season

JEDDAH: The Royal Commission for the Governorate of Al-Ula on Thursday launched the Winter at Tantora cultural festival in the presence of Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture.

During a series of themed weekend events, festival visitors will be able to experience a range of activities including a celebration of the winter planting season and weekly cultural events.

The new Maraya platform, which was built as the festival's main center, was opened during the opening ceremony. The platform will host eight international artists, including Mohamed Abdo, Andrea Bocelli and a virtual performance by Um Kulthum, over the course of seven weeks in the winter.

Winter at Tantora features other experiences such as, a souq featuring local crafts, a sculpture trail of temporary art installations, and pop-up restaurants and food trucks. Also, several excursions were planned for visitors to see the most that Al-Ula has to offer.

The festival will continue until the Feb. 9, and includes several activities inspired by the heritage of Al-Ula, which is considered a main archeological site in the north of the Arabian Peninsula and the meeting point of many past civilizations.

 


What makes the Taif Rose such a precious fragrance product?

Perfume artisan involvement aligns with Jazan Festival’s initiative repositioning traditional crafts as dynamic. (SPA)
Updated 09 January 2026
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What makes the Taif Rose such a precious fragrance product?

  • These farms produce nearly 550 million roses annually, all harvested during a brief season of no more than 45 days, from early March to the end of April

TAIF: Taif roses, renowned for their exceptional aroma and the meticulous care required in cultivation, harvesting, and processing, are among the Kingdom’s most valuable natural perfume products and stand out as prominent agricultural and cultural symbols deeply connected to the region’s heritage and tourism.

Taif rose farms, numbering over 910 and spread across Al-Hada, Al-Shafa, Wadi Muharram, Al-Wahat, Al-Wahit, and Wadi Liya, are home to approximately 1,144,000 rose bushes covering about 270 hectares of agricultural land. 

FASTFACT

Taif rose farms, numbering over 910 and spread across Al-Hada, Al-Shafa, Wadi Muharram, Al-Wahat, Al-Wahit, and Wadi Liya, are home to approximately 1,144,000 rose bushes covering about 270 hectares of agricultural land.

These farms produce nearly 550 million roses annually, all harvested during a brief season of no more than 45 days, from early March to the end of April.

This harvest yields around 20,000 tolas of Taif rose oil. Producing a single tola requires approximately 12,000 roses, which are picked manually at dawn and distilled within 24 hours to preserve the purity and quality of the scent before reaching the market.