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Lavender, a Symbol of Saudi Arabia’s Hospitality

Saudi Arabia's Lavender - SPA
Saudi Arabia's Lavender - SPA
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Lavender, a Symbol of Saudi Arabia’s Hospitality

Saudi Arabia's Lavender - SPA
Saudi Arabia's Lavender - SPA

Lavender flowers dress Saudi deserts during Spring, reflecting the unique natural landscape of the Kingdom.

The northern regions of the Kingdom are abundant in shamrock, chrysanthemum, and lavender flowers that flourish in various degrees of purple that go in harmony with the desert landscape and give it vigor.

This has prompted Saudi Arabia to choose purple as the new color for its carpets during ceremonial and formal occasions, which includes receiving heads of states, official guests, ministers, and ambassadors.

The Kingdom is one of the few countries that no longer use the traditional red carpets during official occasions.

The idea to use purple for ceremonial carpets came as a joint initiative between the Saudi Ministry of Culture and the Royal Protocol.

Purple was chosen as a touristic and cultural symbol, inspired by the lavender flowers that bloom in spring and cover the Kingdom’s desert landscapes.

Notably, official purple carpets appeared for the first time when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.

The initiative to change the color of ceremonial carpets reflects the ongoing development in Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030. It also attributes special importance to the roots of Saudi history and civilization.

Saudi Arabia placed special emphasis on its cultural identity and international appearance after the launch of Vision 2030, contributing to the promotion of various sectors such as tourism, arts, and archaeology.

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Nose Cone Glitch Wipes Australian Rocket Launch

An undated handout photo released by Gilmour Space Technologies on May 14, 2025 shows a three-stage Eris rocket seen near Bowen, on the east coast of Australia. (Photo by Handout / GILMOUR SPACE TECHNOLOGIES / AFP)
An undated handout photo released by Gilmour Space Technologies on May 14, 2025 shows a three-stage Eris rocket seen near Bowen, on the east coast of Australia. (Photo by Handout / GILMOUR SPACE TECHNOLOGIES / AFP)
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Nose Cone Glitch Wipes Australian Rocket Launch

An undated handout photo released by Gilmour Space Technologies on May 14, 2025 shows a three-stage Eris rocket seen near Bowen, on the east coast of Australia. (Photo by Handout / GILMOUR SPACE TECHNOLOGIES / AFP)
An undated handout photo released by Gilmour Space Technologies on May 14, 2025 shows a three-stage Eris rocket seen near Bowen, on the east coast of Australia. (Photo by Handout / GILMOUR SPACE TECHNOLOGIES / AFP)

An Australian aerospace firm said Friday it has scrubbed a historic attempt to send a locally developed rocket into orbit, citing a glitch in the nose cone protecting its payload -- a jar of Vegemite.
An electrical fault erroneously deployed the opening mechanism of the carbon-fiber nose cone during pre-flight testing, Gilmour Space Technologies said, according to AFP.
The nose cone is designed to shield the payload during the rocket's ascent through the Earth's atmosphere before reaching space.

The mishap happened before fueling of the vehicle at the company's spaceport near the east coast township of Bowen, about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) up from the Queensland capital Brisbane.

"The good news is the rocket and the team are both fine. While we're disappointed by the delay, we're already working through a resolution and expect to be back on the pad soon," said chief executive Adam Gilmour.
"As always, safety is our highest priority."
Gilmour said the team would now work to identify the problem on its 23-meter (75-foot), three-stage Eris rocket, which is designed to send satellites into low-Earth orbit.

A replacement nose cone would be transported to the launch site in the coming days, he said.
Weighing 30 tons fully fueled, the rocket has a hybrid propulsion system, using a solid inert fuel and a liquid oxidizer, which provides the oxygen for it to burn.
If successful, it would be the first Australian-made rocket to be sent into orbit from Australian soil.
"We have all worked really hard so, yes, the team is disappointed. But on the other hand, we do rockets -- they are used to setbacks," said communications chief Michelle Gilmour.
"We are talking about at least a few weeks, so it is not going to happen now," she told AFP.
The payload for the initial test -- a jar of Vegemite -- remained intact.
"It's hardy, resilient, like Aussies," she said.
Gilmour Space Technologies had to delay a launch attempt the previous day, too, because of a bug in the external power system it relies on for system checks.
The company, which has 230 employees, hopes to start commercial launches in late 2026 or early 2027.
It has worked on rocket development for a decade, and is backed by investors including venture capital group Blackbird and pension fund HESTA.