35 thousand visited the handicrafts and crafts exhibition over 5 days
Asharqia Chamber, represented by the Social Responsibility Center, concluded the 2024 Handicrafts and Crafts Exhibition on Sunday evening, September 29, 2024, with the Saudi Ardah and authentic heritage arts, which witnessed a large turnout of Saudi, Gulf, Arab and foreign visitors interested in the Kingdom's diverse cultural heritage, at the Dhahran Expo. The exhibition received its visitors over 5 days, with 30 working hours from 4 pm to 10 pm, where it witnessed the visit of 35 thousand visitors, who came to learn about the most prominent local products that represent the heritage of the Eastern Region and the most prominent textiles that reflect the comprehensive national identity.
The Chairman of the Asharqia Chamber, Badr bin Suleiman Al-Rizaiza, expressed his thanks and appreciation to His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Governor of the Eastern Province, for his patronage and honoring of the exhibition, stressing that the sponsorship represents great support for the Chamber's events and activities, and contributes to the Chamber's continuation in organizing events that benefit the business sector and support small projects for craftsmen. Al-Rizaiza said that the Chamber was able to contribute significantly to highlighting the identity of the national culture, by empowering owners of crafts, arts and handicrafts by providing them with the opportunity to display their creations to visitors to the exhibition, noting that the exhibition comes in line with the generous high directive of the Council of Ministers, approving the designation of the year (2025 AD) as (the Year of Handicrafts), stressing that the crafts and handicrafts sector is considered a social and economic tributary, through its important role as one of the most important pillars of Saudi Vision 2030 to work on upgrading it, developing it and transforming it into a more organized sector to be an added value in the national economy, and contributing positively to the gross domestic product.
Al-Rizaiza explained: The exhibition witnessed the participation of more than 300 exhibitors from craftsmen and handicrafts owners, government and private agencies, and civil development associations, as it aims to organize the work of these crafts, whether they are handicrafts or plastic artists, to develop their capabilities and provide them with the professional, administrative and creative skills necessary to raise the quality of their products, as exhibitors presented various products in the field of crafts and handicrafts, drawing and decoration, perfumes and incense, sweets, coffee, spices and drinks, and women's fashion, clothing and accessories. The pavilion of the Culture and Arts Association in Dammam also presents artistic connections that reflect the artistic heritage of the Kingdom. Inside the exhibition halls, we met the artist Wedad Al Mubarak, who transformed her talent in plastic arts into the manufacture of moving dolls in order to enrich children's information by embodying different characters beloved by children in order to consolidate the idea and awareness in interactive activities, and present the popular and social heritage of the community. Regarding her participation in the exhibition, she praised the efforts made and that she considers participation a marketing opportunity for crafts, handicrafts and various products. The participation of Wijdan Al Dosari, who influenced the exhibition visitors by transforming her passion and hobby with her daughters into a different craft in tanning natural leather, recycling car and tank tires into home furniture, and creative artifacts that caught the attention of visitors through this craft and talent. From another perspective, artist Doha Akhdar, who specializes in the art of making macramé, presented a wonderful example of the participants in this year's exhibition. During the exhibition, she trained more than 500 people on this art, noting that she is keen to spread the "art of knotting" among girls, by organizing training courses for girls who wish to practice this craft, in addition to empowering more than one participant through training and development before their participation in this year's exhibition.
The Mexican visitor, Megan Salazar, expressed her admiration for the activities presented at the exhibition, which were related to the Saudi heritage, especially the Eastern heritage. He stated that he, his family, and his children enjoyed the creations he saw, stressing the preservation of Saudi culture. The Italian Vitali explained through her visit that the exhibition is a unique value that represents Saudi culture from heritage and the fragrance of extended history, and she considered it a touristic opportunity to learn about the authentic Saudi culture and the various creations of productive families, craftsmen, and various handicrafts.
