Roses of Taif

The Vision

A vision and strategy commissioned to help accelerate the advancement and development of the Taif Rose Industry.  The rose fields of Taif are arguably Saudi Arabia’s greatest unknown asset; a world-class resource of beauty, style and taste that can become a world leader in its industry. 

We were inspired by this to draw-up a longer-term strategic plan to harness this Saudi resource for the benefit of the country, its people and its standing in the world. 

The 2000 or so farms in the Taif region turn pink each April, creating a visual spectacular that has few comparisons in the world. And the oil that is produced from the petals is amongst the most sought-after in the world. 

The Strategy

March Hare presented a bold strategy to preserve ancient traditions, encourage visitors and therefore revenues for local farmers, supporting them and also building a strong and powerful Taif Roses brand through partnerships with world-famous perfume houses.   We also seek inspiration from our own “Saudi 70s” project, part of which considers the vibrant Taif summer scene of the 1970s.   Furthermore, we are developing a new retail brand with the roses of Taif as a central and key product line and including it in all elements of our brand-building. 

Commercial

Our Mission is to Commercialise, expand and protect the extensive rose-growing industry using 21st-century technologies in Taif.   Creating multiple product lines, a proprietary and legally protected Roses of Taif globally recognized brand, exponential increase in sales revenues, job opportunities in agri-tech and tourism, global partnerships, and building a new exciting non-oil narrative for the Kingdom. 

We have ensured revenues are focused within Taif via a trademark protection plan that has Taif Roses as the legal appellation that can only be used to describe roses and rose products that originate from Taif. We are building the Roses of Taif into a global brand within that framework.  We will Develop a signature iconic Rose of Taif that becomes the focus for an annual global campaign, festivals and related brand-building activities at home and internationally. 

Technology

Modern farming techniques are removing the barriers and limitations historically imposed by climate, altitude, soil conditions and allowing for new crops and produce to be considered for both domestic and export consumption. 

Agri-tech is at the cutting edge of a farming revolution and can be applied to support Taifs economic and cultural revival.  To catalyze the opportunity for technology and agriculture to come together in Taif, we propose creating the Taif Agriculture Accelerator Program or TAAP.   The demand for high-value, high-quality roses increases daily and Taif’s strategic location provides for rapid access to both the Gulf's and Europe's consumer societies. 

The Foundation

The Rose Foundation, a new charitable project to maintain regional production methods, historic farming families, and develop partnerships internationally without compromising those values. 

The Rose Foundation will be the catalyst to begin delivering the key pillars of the Roses of Taif Strategy including: 

The Foundation could perhaps be a project that you develop and is later handed to the state to manage as a gift to the nation or remain a private project with extensive public partnership. 

• Trademark protection
• Marketing and brand building
• Utilization of agritech via an accelerator initiative and incubator programme
• Research and development
• Job training and opportunities
• International partnerships

We want to build Taif as a tourist destination not just for the elite international traveler, but as a “must-see” for every Saudi and regional tourist.

At the heart of our vision is positioning Taif region as the “Provence of Arabia”. Comparisons with Provence seem perfect: the areas share horticulture, climate, and deep-rooted history. 

In the 1970s, many chic Saudi families summered in the area just as the French bourgeois summer in Provence.