Nizwa – The Dakhliyah Governorate has announced the launch of the Rose Festival 2026 in Jabal Akhdar on March 30, celebrating the mountain rose, one of the wilayat’s most prominent agricultural products and a key element of its heritage identity.

Organised annually, the festival highlights the natural beauty of the mountain region while promoting its agricultural heritage and growing tourism potential. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the cultivation of mountain roses, the harvesting process and traditional distillation methods used by local farmers to produce Omani rose water.

Ahmed bin Salem Al Toubi, Director General of Administrative and Financial Affairs in Dakhliyah, said the festival will feature a variety of cultural, tourism, artistic and sports activities reflecting the region’s heritage. These include heritage shows, folk arts performances, cultural theatre, exhibitions of local rose-related products and fine arts initiatives organised by Omani artists in rose farms.

Photography competitions will also be held for photographers and content creators to document the natural and cultural features of the season.

Among the key activities is the Rose Trail, connecting several agricultural villages in the Jabal Akhdar region, with around 400 participants expected to take part in the event that combines sports and exploration of the mountainous landscape and rose farms.

Toubi said the festival will also include a specialised scientific seminar focusing on the development of the rose and aromatic plants sector in Oman. The seminar will review modern distillation technologies as well as investment and export opportunities linked to this sector.

Educational programmes and interactive activities will also be organised for children and families to promote environmental and agricultural awareness.

The festival coincides with the annual rose harvest season in Jabal Akhdar, which typically runs from mid-March to early May. During this period, residents pick roses in the early morning before transferring them to traditional distillation vessels locally known as ‘Dahjan’ to produce rose water, for which the region has long been known.

Toubi said the festival provides a platform to support farmers and productive families, promote local rose-based products and encourage tourism and economic activity in Dakhliyah.