Beyond rose water: Looking into other creative products from Al Jabal Al Akhdhar roses
Published: 10:05 PM,May 03,2021 | EDITED : 08:05 PM,May 03,2021
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Local farmers in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar had always been proud of the things they produced — from the important fruit crops down to the many different spices and herbs that abound the mountain. More and more young Omanis however are beginning to recognise that there are so much more that can be mined from what the Green Mountain produces. Ahmed al Saqri is looking at the products of the mouintain from a different angle
Located around 3,000 metres above sea level, with its distinct atmosphere and towering mountains, Al Jabal Al Akhdhar is one of Oman’s place where one can experience nature at its finest with people living a very simple life. The residents here rely on the natural resources gifted to them by the land, and with fresh air filled with the scents of flowers, they’ve continued to thrive living healthy-independent lives.
The flower harvest season in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar begins in late March, peaks in April and ends in May. This season come with its unique rituals.
The vast areas of land look as if they are covered by an infinite green carpet, filled with pink/reddish flowers. This season is considered an essential season, especially for Jabal residents, as the collecting of flowers and extracting the various types of its products from them is one of their sources of income.
Many products are extracted from the flowers, but the most common product is the rose water. As of late, extracting oil from the flower has given life to new products revolutionasing the flower industry of the Green Mountain and Oman in general.
But how is rose oil generated? What has been the opinion of people about it? And how difficult it is to focus into this new endeavour?
Ahmed bin Abdullah al Saqri, founder and owner of Al Jabal Roses, gave out some very revealing answers regarding their effort to establish Al Jabal Al Akhdhar as more than just rose water.
Growing up in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar and has been a witnessed to its people’s customs and tradtions, Al Saqri decided to launch his own business by utilising the flora of Al Jabal Al Akhdhar.
While the raw ingredients are there, they had not been properly utilised giving Al Saqri an idea to develop on it further.
“Our concern is the quality of the product, we opted to use modern agricultural technologies, tools, and instruments that guarantee the best results of clean and pure production. By using moden machineries and tools, we were able to extract and produce prodcuts at lesser amount of time with lesser effort,” Al Saqri shared.
People in Oman are familiar with the how rose water is extracted but oil extraction is a new concept that has just began to trend.
Al Saqri shared that he has prepare for a long time for the launching of his business and has already considered expanding the scope of the products produced in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar.
As al Saqri shared, he wanted to innovate and diversity the products produce in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar. Being one of the first Omanis who have gone to rose oil extraction, he wanted to do more for other products too. Rose oil is considered to be among the best scents globally and many countries compete to produce it. Because of this competition, it has become an expensive product in demand in the perfume and aromatics industries. Producing natural, new, and rare product, specifically by complicated procedure, poses a considerable risk for two reasons. First; the possibility of not reaching the expected revenue, and second, the loss of a great deal of flowers.
But it was a risk Al Saqri willingly faced. Because of elevated effort, he was able to raise his brand to a higher level with many of his customers expressing their satisfaction for the product.
The process of extracting the oil is complex, yet delicate at the same time, it requires certain circumstances and infinite patience. Asked what was the most difficult problem they faced, Al Saqri said: “The most critical obstacle we faced so far is the difficulty of rocky lands reclamation and cultivation, and we have eventually solved it by using many processes.” With marketing, Al Saqri has also gotten into social media to reach more people not only in Oman but also other countries too. He also endeavours to create a buzz either through TV interviews or newspaper coverages calling this collaborative effort with media and social media “the secret beyond our brand’s success.”
Al Saqri looks into the future and sees the “Al Jabal Roses” brand expanding beyond Oman towards the whole of the Guld region, and ultimately, internationally.
“We intend to acquire vast areas of lands, besides importing new kinds of flowers,” Al Saqri said, “this trade will directly boost and enhance the income of the economic, agricultural, and touristic sectors in Oman.”
If you have not visited Al Jabal Al Akhdhar (the Green Mountain) yet and would like to visit Al-Saqri farm to learn how the different products from roses are produced, you can contact Al Saqri via their Instagram account: Aljabal_roses.
Photos by Ahmed Al Hosni
Located around 3,000 metres above sea level, with its distinct atmosphere and towering mountains, Al Jabal Al Akhdhar is one of Oman’s place where one can experience nature at its finest with people living a very simple life. The residents here rely on the natural resources gifted to them by the land, and with fresh air filled with the scents of flowers, they’ve continued to thrive living healthy-independent lives.
The flower harvest season in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar begins in late March, peaks in April and ends in May. This season come with its unique rituals.
The vast areas of land look as if they are covered by an infinite green carpet, filled with pink/reddish flowers. This season is considered an essential season, especially for Jabal residents, as the collecting of flowers and extracting the various types of its products from them is one of their sources of income.
Many products are extracted from the flowers, but the most common product is the rose water. As of late, extracting oil from the flower has given life to new products revolutionasing the flower industry of the Green Mountain and Oman in general.
But how is rose oil generated? What has been the opinion of people about it? And how difficult it is to focus into this new endeavour?
Ahmed bin Abdullah al Saqri, founder and owner of Al Jabal Roses, gave out some very revealing answers regarding their effort to establish Al Jabal Al Akhdhar as more than just rose water.
Growing up in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar and has been a witnessed to its people’s customs and tradtions, Al Saqri decided to launch his own business by utilising the flora of Al Jabal Al Akhdhar.
While the raw ingredients are there, they had not been properly utilised giving Al Saqri an idea to develop on it further.
“Our concern is the quality of the product, we opted to use modern agricultural technologies, tools, and instruments that guarantee the best results of clean and pure production. By using moden machineries and tools, we were able to extract and produce prodcuts at lesser amount of time with lesser effort,” Al Saqri shared.
People in Oman are familiar with the how rose water is extracted but oil extraction is a new concept that has just began to trend.
Al Saqri shared that he has prepare for a long time for the launching of his business and has already considered expanding the scope of the products produced in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar.
As al Saqri shared, he wanted to innovate and diversity the products produce in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar. Being one of the first Omanis who have gone to rose oil extraction, he wanted to do more for other products too. Rose oil is considered to be among the best scents globally and many countries compete to produce it. Because of this competition, it has become an expensive product in demand in the perfume and aromatics industries. Producing natural, new, and rare product, specifically by complicated procedure, poses a considerable risk for two reasons. First; the possibility of not reaching the expected revenue, and second, the loss of a great deal of flowers.
But it was a risk Al Saqri willingly faced. Because of elevated effort, he was able to raise his brand to a higher level with many of his customers expressing their satisfaction for the product.
The process of extracting the oil is complex, yet delicate at the same time, it requires certain circumstances and infinite patience. Asked what was the most difficult problem they faced, Al Saqri said: “The most critical obstacle we faced so far is the difficulty of rocky lands reclamation and cultivation, and we have eventually solved it by using many processes.” With marketing, Al Saqri has also gotten into social media to reach more people not only in Oman but also other countries too. He also endeavours to create a buzz either through TV interviews or newspaper coverages calling this collaborative effort with media and social media “the secret beyond our brand’s success.”
Al Saqri looks into the future and sees the “Al Jabal Roses” brand expanding beyond Oman towards the whole of the Guld region, and ultimately, internationally.
“We intend to acquire vast areas of lands, besides importing new kinds of flowers,” Al Saqri said, “this trade will directly boost and enhance the income of the economic, agricultural, and touristic sectors in Oman.”
If you have not visited Al Jabal Al Akhdhar (the Green Mountain) yet and would like to visit Al-Saqri farm to learn how the different products from roses are produced, you can contact Al Saqri via their Instagram account: Aljabal_roses.
Photos by Ahmed Al Hosni