How a new generation of Arab artisans is renewing traditional crafts for modern Muslim markets and global audiences
Assalamu alaykum - Across the Arab world, traditional crafts are being given fresh life by a new generation of makers. From Sharjah to Damascus, Beirut to Amman, artisans are bringing back techniques that were at risk of disappearing, turning heritage into livelihoods and art into a means of support.
In Saudi Arabia, 2025 has been named the Year of Handicrafts - an initiative from the Ministry of Culture and the Heritage Commission to celebrate traditional crafts and integrate them into the modern economy. Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan called handicrafts “a reflection of the creativity of Saudi society through weaving, handmade artifacts and artistic innovations passed down through generations.” The program backs pottery, palm-frond work, leathercraft and Sadu weaving, and trains young Saudis to transform inherited skills into sustainable design enterprises.
One leader in this movement is Arwa Al-Ammari, founder of ArAm Designs and a member of the Saudi Fashion Commission. She says when she started, many local designers were still figuring out how to express identity through design. Through her label she updates local embroidery and beadwork into contemporary shapes - aiming to convey Saudi culture’s warmth and storytelling, not just reproduce motifs. Her approach mirrors the wider goals of Vision 2030: creativity rooted in memory.
In Sharjah, the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council helps Emirati artisans connect with designers. Working under the NAMA Women Advancement Establishment, Irthi trains women in crafts like Talli (hand-braiding), Safeefah (palm weaving), Sadu and embroidery through programs that help preserve traditions while creating income opportunities. They open workshops for different ages and skill levels, with step-by-step training so artisans can progress from learners to advanced makers, and evaluations after sessions to track growth.
Talli and Safeefah are central crafts there. Talli uses intricate thread weaving with a metal tool called the Kajoujah; threads and metallic Khousah threads are woven methodically to form patterned textiles. Safeefah, palm-frond weaving, starts with collecting and preparing fronds, then weaving and stitching them into mats, baskets and other useful items. Irthi also runs Design Labs and Crafts Dialogue programs so artisans can collaborate with local and international designers - one example blended Safeefah with pottery to create sculptural furniture pieces.
The council’s strategies support artisans socially, economically and creatively, and have encouraged pride and healthy competition among women makers. Trainees such as Amna Al-Thanhani moved from student to trainer, mentoring newcomers. Sharjah’s UNESCO Creative City status for Crafts and Folk Art has helped raise visibility and partnerships, positioning the city as a place where heritage and contemporary design meet.
The revival of craft stretches beyond the UAE. In Jordan, hundreds of Palestinian refugee women in Jerash Camp keep their stories alive through embroidery. The Social Enterprise Project employs over 600 embroiderers making hand-finished scarves and keffiyehs inspired by traditional Palestinian patterns - each artisan signs her piece as a mark of authorship. This craft resists mechanization; each stitch carries a story.
Designers have partnered with these artisans to bring the work to wider markets. Dana Odeh of Rock n’ Shine says working with the Jerash artisans connected her to her roots and gave her brand a mission to preserve meaning while making pieces wearable today. She keeps traditional motifs and stitching at the heart of designs, sometimes adjusting color or placement for modern wearability but safeguarding the craft’s story. Her brand also works with initiatives supporting refugee artisans to help provide dignity and income through ethical craftsmanship.
In Lebanon, design has become a language of resilience. We Design Beirut turned industrial spaces into living galleries, inviting furniture-makers, metalworkers and textile designers to showcase Beirut’s creative pulse and to support the sustainability of the design sector.
In Damascus, Aghabani embroidery - fine silk-and-gold stitching once prized across the Levant - continues in small ateliers that still produce linens and garments using century-old patterns. For these makers, survival is about continuity: every finished piece proves that Syria’s artisanship endures despite hardship.
From government programs and design councils to refugee co-ops and family workshops, handmade traditions are not disappearing. They are adapting, being rewoven into new economies and identities, and finding fresh forms of beauty. In every pattern and stitch, the region’s heritage keeps finding its place in the present. Alhamdulillah.
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