After decades of pruning tricky bushes and hard harvests, Khalaf Allah al-Talhi perfected the art of capturing the fragrant aroma of roses in the desert.

The 80-year-old told AFP From his flower farm in Taif, western Saudi Arabia.

Taif’s hills are known as “City of Roses” and produce about 300 million signature pink roses in the region each year on 800 flower farms.

According to his own estimates, Talhi grew up five to six million.

The mild climate of spring comes with roses blooming, covered with huge rolling desert landscapes, bright pink shades.

Then a group of laborers hand-picked the flowers from dawn to late at night.

The petals are soaked and boiled in a bucket for several hours, where the steam is captured through a complex process, which is then distilled into aromatic oil.

These flowers have long been used to make rose water to wash the walls of the Mecca Great Mosque, and perfume made from Taff roses is popular among pilgrims visiting the kingdom.

“Many Rose Lovers”

“The quantity of taif roses is small, so exports are limited only because it is not enough to meet local needs. In Saudi Arabia, we have many rose lovers who only like rose perfumes.”

Export a certain amount of oil to make perfume or add it to beauty products such as moisturizers and soaps.

According to economic database trend economics, Saudi Arabia exported $141 million worth of perfume products in 2023, including rose water.

During harvest, workers at Tahi Farm have thousands of flowers every day.

“We were born on a farm and have been working in agriculture,” Tari said.

But now, the frequency of unstable weather – including hot summers, cold winters and unexpected floods – poses a powerful threat to Taif’s famous rose.

“My soul”

Climate scientists regularly warn that each part of a certain degree of global warming increases the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as heat waves, heavy rains and droughts.

Saudi Arabia has arid climate and vast deserts, which are particularly vulnerable.

A report released by the Atlantic Commission.

The think tank estimates that wheat production is expected to fall by 20% to 30% by 2050 to 2050 due to heat stress and insufficient irrigation water, while dating palms and other staple crops are also expected to decline.

Tari said the weather in the desert around Taf is no exception.

“Last year and the year before, it was very cold. Some farmers did not collect a flower from the fields.”

Thankfully, this season is more tolerant.

“There are weather changes, but this year is very mild,” he said.

While the weather may not be reliable now, Tari himself has proven to be a stable source.

Despite his years of progress, eighty-year-old generations rose every day, and then sunrise went to his staff to work side by side, and he often worked hard until late at night.

He told him, “This farm is my soul and my heart beats.” AFP.

“God wants nothing to separate me from it except death.”