"Going through these time changes does take its toll," Rose said of the 11-hour time change between California and Saudi Arabia.
"It's a tough journey over here, a day behind in preparation, but still feeling for the most part comfortable and happy with my game.
"I actually played really nicely day one. Today I felt not as good, but I think the mistakes were more because I was behind the eight-ball trying to get into the tournament."
The Englishman shot 70 and 72 to miss the cut by two strokes with his two-over-par 142 total at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, where American Dustin Johnson was halfway leader at 11-under in the European Tour event.
Rose will not return to action until the March 7-10 Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida, where he will start his build-up towards the year's first major, the April 11-14 U.S. Masters at Augusta National.
Being world number one is all well and good, but Rose made no bones about his priorities this year.
"My whole schedule is about freshening up now for the Masters and being ready for that," he said.
"My goal is to win more and to win major championships this year."
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Ed Osmond)
