Handcrafted items, traditional al-sadu weaving, and heritage garments have drawn crowds to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s pavilion at the tenth annual King Abdulaziz Camel Festival in Al-Sayahid, where some of the most iconic traditional women’s outfits are on display, reflecting the richness and authenticity of Saudi heritage.
Sharing his experience at the festival, artisan Helail bin Rizqallah Al-Harthi told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), “I’ve been working in this craft for nearly three decades. My work focuses mainly on embroidery and al-sadu weaving, using pure silk fabrics and goat-hair threads.”
Al-Harthi noted “the tremendous efforts that our nation continues to make to support and preserve heritage.”
He highlighted the remarkable surge in interest in traditional handmade products in an unprecedented way over the past years, thanking the ministry for providing the pavilion to showcase national heritage crafts.
The SPA camera toured the pavilion and met Munirah Al-Rabeeah, a specialist and trainer in traditional attire, who explained that she has recreated several historical outfits inspired by prominent Saudi women, most notably Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman and Ghaliyya Al-Bogammiah, and presented them at the Handicrafts Exhibition at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.
“My work includes the striped Najdi mutaffat, Taif’s mubaqar, the Hijazi mussaddah, the minaikhal, as well as tull, zary, men’s daglah, the women’s egal used in southern Taif and in the desert of Al-Baha, along with the al-kurta, al-masrah, and al-nashal,” she said.
The ministry’s facility at the festival features a range of pavilions showcasing national heritage creations, from garments and al-sadu works to traditional foods, cultural artefacts, and creative artwork that reflect the many dimensions of Saudi heritage.
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