Latest news with #traditionalarts
Arab News
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Royal Institute of Traditional Arts features at Expo 2025 Osaka's Saudi Culture Week
OSAKA: Saudi Arabia's Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) highlighted the Kingdom's traditional arts to a global audience during Saudi Culture Week at Expo 2025 Osaka. The event, from July 12-15, highlighted the 'Year of Handicrafts 2025' initiative and put the Kingdom's creative industries and craftsmanship in the spotlight. It also coincided with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Japan and Saudi Arabia. Wrth's participation blended Saudi and Japanese culture in a way that highlighted each one and featured a live demonstration by Saudi artisan Salman Al-Hamad and Japan's Yuho Ohkotaof, who applied the techniques of Al-Ahsa Bisht embroidery to a Japanese kimono design. Wrth also held a workshop dedicated to creating Japanese fans with patterns inspired by Saudi traditional arts, using a design by a Wrth student.
Arab News
29-06-2025
- General
- Arab News
Najdi doors reflect Kingdom's craft legacy
Riyadh: The year 2025 has been designated the 'Year of Handicrafts' in the Kingdom to reinforce traditional arts and crafts as authentic cultural heritage. The initiative aims to promote the practice, preservation, documentation and integration of handicrafts into modern life, celebrating a cultural legacy central to national identity, a Saudi Press Agency report said. It seeks to support artisans, enhance their skills and prevent traditional crafts from disappearing. It emphasizes manual crafts made using simple tools, without modern technology. Prominent crafts include Sadu weaving, mud building, wood carving, pottery, hand embroidery, and palm frond products such as baskets and mats. Engraving on doors with Najdi motifs is another traditional art for which the Najd region is renowned, the SPA reported. Artisan Ali Al-Jasser, known for Najdi door engraving, shared his journey from basic wooden installations to intricate three-dimensional pieces blending tradition with contemporary art. He noted regional variations — at Najdi in the center, Al-Qatt Al-Asiri in the south, Rawashin in the west, Bab Al-Bahr in the east, and Sadu in the north. Another artisan, Nouf Al-Suwailim, highlighted that Najdi door engravings were key elements of traditional Najdi architecture, reflecting its cultural and urban identity. She described the doors' elegant designs, featuring geometric and floral patterns enhanced by decorative iron nails.
Arab News
04-06-2025
- General
- Arab News
Pilgrims receive gifts reflecting Saudi culture
MAKKAH: The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, known as Wrth, has welcomed pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia via land, sea, and air with gifts inspired by traditional Saudi arts. This initiative, in collaboration with the Pilgrim Awareness Center and Saudia airline, aims to enrich pilgrims' experience culturally and intellectually, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Pilgrims received prayer rugs adorned by Arabic calligraphy and medallions featuring traditional inscriptions reflecting Saudi cultural values. Accompanying the gifts were informational cards about Hajj rituals, provided by the Pilgrim Awareness Center. Gifts were distributed at key entry points, including King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah Islamic Port, and the Hajj dispatching control center on Hijrah Road. Wrth's participation aligns with its mission to raise awareness of traditional arts and offer a unique pilgrim experience during the Kingdom's Year of Handicrafts. The initiative highlights national identity and strengthens the global presence of traditional Saudi arts, the SPA reported. The royal institute recently completed a billboard project along Hijrah Road between Makkah and Madinah, in collaboration with the Roads General Authority. The billboards feature designs inspired by traditional motifs and crafts such as weaving, reflecting the national identity. These showcase the beauty of local arts and regional patterns and aim to enrich pilgrims' cultural experience and promote heritage tourism.
Arab News
03-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Arab News
Traditional Saudi crafts adorn pilgrimage route
MAKKAH: Traditional arts and crafts through a modern visual lens can be seen along the Hijrah Road between Makkah and Madinah. The recently completed billboard project, carried out by the Roads General Authority in collaboration with the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, known as Wrth, aligns with the Year of Handicrafts 2025. The billboards feature designs inspired by traditional motifs and crafts such as weaving, reflecting national identity, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. The billboards feature designs inspired by traditional motifs and crafts such as weaving, reflecting national identity. (SPA) Illustrations highlight the beauty of local arts and regional patterns with the aim of enriching pilgrims' cultural experience and promoting heritage tourism. Saudi Arabia has one of the world's largest and most interconnected road networks, facilitating pilgrim and tourist movement across the Kingdom, and strengthening efforts to highlight its cultural heritage across the regions. The Roads General Authority has also launched a 'mobile sites' service on the Hijrah Road to help pilgrims if their buses break down, ensuring their comfort and safety as they travel between Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites. The service operates 24/7 during Hajj on the Hijrah Road and can accommodate around 40 pilgrims. It includes air conditioning, rest areas, restrooms, cold beverages and meals.
Asharq Al-Awsat
23-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Arabia: Wrth, Aseer Authority to Boost Traditional Arts in Handicrafts Year 2025
The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Aseer Region Development Authority in Riyadh. The MoU aims to strengthen cooperation in traditional arts, empower the crafts sector, and enhance artisans' skills, in conjunction with Saudi Arabia's designation of 2025 as the Year of Handicrafts, the Saudi Press Agency reported Thursday. The MoU supports crafts and traditional industries through collaboration with specialized partners, chiefly with Wrth, SPA said. The partnership aims to build effective and sustainable cooperation that enables educational and training programs focused on preserving the authenticity of crafts and improving their quality, in line with the authority's development goals rooted in heritage and nature. Wrth is a leading entity in promoting national identity, enriching and showcasing Saudi traditional arts locally and globally, honoring distinguished practitioners, preserving craft heritage, supporting national talents, and encouraging wider learning and development of these crafts.
