Freshly harvested Taif roses piled high during the early morning collection in Saudi Arabia, awaiting distillation into the region’s famed rose water and perfumes. (Source: Shutterstock)
Amid the steady churn of economic reform and urban expansion in Saudi Arabia, a quieter rhythm holds its ground in the western highlands. Each spring, the hills of Taif blush with millions of Damask roses—delicate, fragrant, and short-lived. For Khalaf Allah Al Talhi, an 80-year-old farmer who has tended these blooms for decades, the work is less a…
