‘My entire life’: Saudi tailor keeps robe-making craft alive

Saudi tailor Habib Mohammed’s shop once made ornate, hand-woven cloaks for royals, a time-honoured craft he is determined to preserve even as mass-produced garments flood the market, threatening his traditional business.

He makes “bisht”, a long gown which for centuries has been a status symbol, worn by kings and princes — and ordinary men — and could take a week of meticulous work to create.

Now, with cheap Chinese-made robes taking a bite out of his business, the 60-year-old tailor is…