Roses named after the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, and the Her Highness The Honourable Lady Assayida Ahd Abdullah Hamed al Busaidi, Spouse of the Sultan of Oman, will be the key attractions of the 1st Oman Flower Festival which is all set to begin at Qurum Natural Park on December 23 as part of the Muscat Nights Festival.
Organised by Muscat Municipality, the one-month-long festival will feature more than one million flowers sourced from across the globe and the artistry of internationally renowned floral designers from France, Netherlands and the USA. It will have beautifully crafted Show Gardens specially created by an international team from Singapore, Thailand, China and the USA.
Speaking to the Observer, Sam Lemheney, who is an industry leader in floral designing worldwide, said that an array of floral wonders are being designed to give the visitors an unforgettable view of the floral marvels from all over the world. The festival comes in the backdrop of Oman, the first GCC country, to join the World Association of Floral Artists (WAFA).
“The first edition of the Muscat Flower Festival is an attempt to transform the Qurum Natural Park into an impressive floral spectacle. With our international expertise and local talents perfectly blended, we are pretty sure that this is going to be a celebration of the beauty of nature, arts and diverse environments.”
The festival will also showcase Oman's own celebrated floral designer, Madhvi Ramesh Khimji and her group of local designers.
Hanan bint Abdullah al Shraiqiyah, Technical Supervisor of Muscat Flower Festival, said that the festival will offer an opportunity to explore a variety of hands-on activities that combine art, nature and creativity as this event is designed to showcase a fusion of global floral artistry and local culture.
“Oman’s first flower Festival will feature a plethora of activities from crafting floral bracelets and crowns to painting flower pots and sculpting clay animals and objects. The young and young at heart can unleash their creativity and connect with nature. It promises to be an adventure for all ages, incorporating interactive experiences that ignite curiosity, foster a love for nature, and create lasting memories,” Hanan said.
She furthered that the festival will also host a bustling marketplace, featuring local vendors, where visitors can purchase fresh flowers, handmade crafts, and floral-inspired food and beverages, seeds and all other necessities of gardening while an array of coffee shops offer steaming coffee in the chilling climate.
The festival, which will run up until January 21, 2025, will include a Grand Floral Centrepiece, Roots of Wonders, Canopies of Dreams, measuring 9 metres in height on the highest point of the display, this stunning piece of art will surely captivate all festival goers.
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