Whole Genome Sequencing of Saudi Arabia Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.)

The pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an ancient fruit-bearing small tree well known for its dark red, tangy-sweet, and antioxidant rich fruit juice. Pomegranates are native to the Middle East, and Saudi Arabia produces large quantities of pomegranates in its mountainous regions of Al-Baha, which have recently gained immense popularity. The genetic resources and genome-scale data of the Saudi Pomegranate variety were unavailable for study. In this study, we assemble a chromosome-level reference genome of the Saudi Pomegranate variety using PacBio HiFi long reads. The data will support conservation, molecular breeding, variety identification, and the discovery of traits like disease resistance and stress tolerance in pomegranates in Saudi Arabia and worldwide.