Saudis urged to show their ‘authentic glam’ on Founding Day with traditional costumes

Saudi Arabia’s regional outfits are designed and created according to the materials available and fit the area’s climate and surrounding area. (AN photo by Basheer Saleh)
Short Url
Updated 05 October 2023
Follow

Saudis urged to show their ‘authentic glam’ on Founding Day with traditional costumes

  • GEA’s Turki Alalshikh offers free entry to two Riyadh Season zones for all those who dress up
  • Saudi Arabia has a rich history of diverse and colorful fashion when it comes to its traditional costumes

JEDDAH: People wearing traditional Founding Day costumes on Feb. 22 will gain free entry to two prominent Riyadh Season zones, as the country prepares to commemorate the establishment of the first Saudi state in 1727 by Imam Muhammad bin Saud.

The chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, tweeted last week: “On February 22, there will be free entry to #Riyadh_City Boulevard and #WinterWonderland for everyone who wears #FoundingDay clothing. We are waiting to see your authentic Saudi glam. #Riyadh_Season.”

There were positive reactions to his tweet.

One person (@ahmd_rl) said: “I am so excited to see everyone looking their best on the Founding Day at Riyadh City Boulevard,” while another (@saadss100) tweeted: “Appreciations for the brilliant idea Turki Alalshikh. This really reflects the authenticity and antiquity of our historical clothing and how proud we are.”

Alalshikh’s tweet followed a Feb. 15 Fashion Commission announcement about the 22 styles listed in the Saudi traditional costume guide on its website, which features clothing from the Kingdom’s five main regions for women, men, and children.

Saudi Arabia has a rich history of diverse and colorful fashion when it comes to its traditional costumes.

Each region has different tribes and each tribe has its own style, but only a few of those costumes are well-known as the rest have been forgotten due to the lack of proper documentation about them and tribal migration.

Nadia Alireza, a member of Mansoojat Foundation and one of the researchers of  "Traditional Costumes of Saudi Arabia,” previously told Arab News that the fashion people chose to wear was one way to identify who they were, the time they lived in, their social background, and where they were from.

Saudi Arabia’s regional outfits are designed and created according to the materials available and fit the area’s climate and surrounding area.

“There are many colors used in traditional Saudi costuming,” she said. “They used a lot of leather, metal and colored beads, and gold and silver thread for embroideries. In some cases, rubber from old tires is used to make footwear.”

The Founding Day fashion guide lists 22 styles of costumes as well as glamorous accessories, jewelry, shawls, bags, and sandals to go with each outfit.

The pieces and colors of each costume are carefully chosen and according to detailed research on the traditional fashions worn during the three previous centuries in the Arabian Peninsula’s regions.

Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 administrative regions, 46 cities, and five main regions.

The Fashion Commission tweeted: “Several factors affected traditional fashion in the Kingdom, each region has special characteristics that influence its costumes, and the surrounding environment also plays a role in the forms of inscriptions, material types, and colors. Traditional fashion, which is produced locally using the finest textiles and fabrics, is considered a major part of the Kingdom’s history.”

There are five types of agal, a key men’s accessory in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council region. The agal is a doubled-up black cord that is worn on top of the head and is traditionally made of goat hair, cotton, and golden thread.

Each region has tweaked the agal in its own way to reflect its individuality. In some areas it is thick, in other areas it is thin with golden clips.

Men in the eastern regions wear a two-piece outfit, a white thobe and an outer cloak known as a bisht. The same goes for men from the central region, but they call it a mroden and it is usually worn on special occasions. Men in the south wear the same piece and they call it a jabbah as it features a solid cloak without any golden trim.

There is also a piece of clothing called the sdiri and this is similar to a vest worn over the thobe by men of the western region. It has the same features of the bisht but is shorter.

Another piece worn over a thobe by men from the central and southern areas is called the daglah. It is made out of cotton or wool, sometimes leather, and has beautiful embroidery on the chest area made from copper, gold, silver, or cotton thread to add a glamorous touch as the costume is worn on formal occasions.

A leather belt is worn over thobes by men from the central and southern regions as an accessory. Some like to add a third belt around their waist with an ornamental dagger hung in the middle of it to reflect power and wealth.

Lailah Al-Bassam, a Saudi expert in traditional fashion and textile heritage, told Arab News: “The progress of nations can be measured through their heritage and traditional arts, and our country is characterized by a long history that extends back thousands of years. Our civilization and the many fields of our traditional arts are ramified.

“Our Saudi costumes are full of different elements that express our special taste in lifestyle practice, as well as what fits with our environment and stems from our customs and traditions.”

Dresses are an essential item in the Saudi woman’s wardrobe.

All the listed regions feature elegant but modest dresses in many colors and cuts, with names such as almohothal, alsidrah, alnashl, kurtah and almasdah. They come in brown, black, blue, red, pink, and beige. Women’s outfits have head coverings, and central region women wear a stylish face covering made from black fabric, drawing attention to the eyes.

Women from the central region used to have a very distinctive piece of jewelry for the head, chest, and waist called the hzam and hamah.

Al-Bassam said that fashion could be considered one of the most important heritage elements. 

“By reviewing what our ancestors left us with including the clothing heritage, distinguished by the richness of its colors, the simplicity of its lines, its modesty, and the splendor of artistic beauty that reaches a high degree of perfection and accuracy in work.

“Despite the primitiveness of tools and the lack of capabilities back then, it is important for us to preserve it and to use it as a source from which we derive our distinctive personality and our special character.

Preserving our traditional costumes help us to reach the ultimate level of authenticity and harmony with the ways of living in a developed society concerned with preserving its ancient traditions.”


Rain lashes parts of Saudi Arabia with warnings of thunderstorms and hail

Rain fell on parts of Saudi Arabia early on Sunday, with officials forecasting thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds. (SPA)
Updated 12 January 2025
Follow

Rain lashes parts of Saudi Arabia with warnings of thunderstorms and hail

  • Overcast skies dominated the day in the capital Riyadh, which recorded moderate rainfall in the morning
  • The weather office also warned of potential near-zero visibility and flooding in some areas

RIYADH: Rain fell on parts of Saudi Arabia early on Sunday, with officials forecasting thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds.

Overcast skies dominated the day in the capital Riyadh, which recorded moderate rainfall in the morning.

The National Center of Meteorology forecast strong winds, hail and thunderstorms, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The weather office also warned of potential near-zero visibility and flooding in some areas.

In the southern Jazan region, heavy rain was reported earlier in the day, affecting Jazan City for Basic and Transformative Industries, as well as the governorates of Ad-Darb, Beesh and the Farasan Islands.

The center issued alerts for Jazan, warning of thunderstorms, high waves and strong winds in the region.

Areas including Sabya, Abu Arish, Al-Harith, Ad-Dayer, Fifa, and Harub were highlighted in the advisory.

Residents were cautioned about the risk of reduced visibility and localized flooding in affected areas.

Earlier this week, parts of Saudi Arabia, including Asir, Makkah, and Madinah regions, experienced similar weather conditions.

Thunderstorms coupled with heavy rain caused temporary disruptions in traffic and daily activities.

The authorities issued several warnings during that period, urging residents to stay vigilant, especially in flood-prone areas.

The rainfall is caused by seasonal weather changes affecting parts of the Kingdom.

The Jazan region, in particular, often experiences heavy rains at this time of year, which can result in flash floods and other related challenges.

Authorities in Riyadh and Jazan have reiterated the importance of adhering to safety guidelines, particularly for motorists navigating slippery roads and areas prone to water accumulation.

Emergency response teams are on high alert to address any incidents caused by the adverse weather.

Residents in affected areas have been advised to follow updates and warnings issued by the center to ensure their safety as weather conditions develop.


Arab, EU diplomats meet in Riyadh for meetings on Syria

Updated 38 min 41 sec ago
Follow

Arab, EU diplomats meet in Riyadh for meetings on Syria

  • Riyadh is negotiating how to support the war-struck country’s transition

RIYADH: Top diplomats from the Middle East and Europe were in the Saudi capital on Sunday to discuss Syria, as world powers push for stability after the fall of Bashar Assad.

The talks on Sunday were due to unfold in two sessions: the first bringing together Arab officials, while the second will feature wider participation, including from Turkiye, France, the European Union and the United Nations, a Saudi official told AFP on Saturday.

Syria’s new leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who led the main group in the alliance that overthrew Assad, is pushing for sanctions relief.

Western powers, including the United States and the European Union, imposed sanctions on Assad’s government over his brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011, which triggered the civil war.

More than 13 years of conflict have killed over half a million Syrians, left infrastructure destroyed and the people impoverished, while millions have fled their homes, including to Europe.

The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on Friday that the 27-nation bloc could begin lifting sanctions if Syria’s new rulers took steps to form an inclusive government that protected minorities.

Saudi Arabia cut ties with Assad’s government in 2012 and had long openly championed his ouster. But in 2023 it hosted an Arab League meeting at which Assad was welcomed back into the regional fold.

This month the Gulf kingdom has sent food, shelter and medical supplies to Syria over land and by plane.

Riyadh is now negotiating how to support the war-struck country’s transition beyond that.

“This summit sends the message that Saudi Arabia wants to take the lead on coordinating the regional effort to support Syria’s recovery,” said Anna Jacobs, non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

“But the big question is how much time and how many resources will Saudi Arabia devote to this effort? And what is possible with many of the sanctions remaining in place?”

The meetings on Sunday represent a continuation of talks on post-Assad Syria held last month in Jordan, the Saudi official said.

After those talks in Aqaba, diplomats called in a joint statement for a Syrian-led transition to “produce an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government formed through a transparent process.”

The statement also stressed “respect for human rights” and the importance of combating “terrorism and extremism,” demanding all parties cease hostilities in Syria.

Turkiye’s foreign minister had confirmed he would attend Sunday’s meeting. Iraq’s top diplomat was also in Riyadh for the gathering, and AFP saw Germany’s foreign minister at the conference venue.

US Undersecretary of State John Bass is also set to attend, coming from talks in Turkiye that partly covered “the importance of regional stability, preventing Syria from being used as a base for terrorism, and ensuring the enduring defeat” of the Daesh group, the State Department said.

Riyadh is “positively approaching” the new leaders in Syria, looking to see if they can bring stability and “control the more extreme elements in (their) ranks,” Karim said.

The group that Sharaa leads, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, is rooted in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, but years ago broke that link and has sought to moderate its image.


Germany pledges $51m in aid for Syria

Updated 12 January 2025
Follow

Germany pledges $51m in aid for Syria

  • Spending will ‘contribute to a peaceful transition for all,’ foreign minister says
  • Decision announced on sidelines of Riyadh meeting on Syria hosted by Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Germany will spend €50 million ($51.3 million) on humanitarian aid for Syria, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced on the sidelines of the Riyadh meetings on Syria hosted by Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

“Syrians now need a quick dividend from the transition of power, and we continue to help those in Syria who have nothing as we have done in all of the years of civil war,” Baerbock said.

During a press briefing, the minister said: “We will provide another €50 million for food, emergency shelter, and medical care because we know that over the last year not only millions have suffered, didn’t have enough food, didn’t have enough treatment for the children, but we also know that the new displacement attacks the women and children, especially.

“We will stand with the people of Syria to contribute to a peaceful transition for everyone,” she said.

The foreign minister said that the aid is not only needed to help those in Syria, but also serves as an investment in security in Germany and throughout Europe.

Baerbock also expressed her gratitude to Saudi Arabia for gathering countries both within the region and from Europe “to discuss the countless unresolved issues facing Syria together.”


KSrelief continues humanitarian outreach in Syria, Yemen

Updated 12 January 2025
Follow

KSrelief continues humanitarian outreach in Syria, Yemen

RYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) continues with its humanitarian activities in Syria and Yemen with the distribution of food supplies, health kits and prosthetic services.

In the town of Beit Yashout, Jabla District of Syria’s Latakia Governorate, 499 families each received boxes containing a bag of flour as well as personal care kits on Saturday, state news agency SPA reported.

In Jindires of Aleppo Governorate, KSrelief distributed 1,476 food boxes and 1,476 health kits while in Talbiseh of Homs Governorate the aid agency on Thursday handed out to 86 families food parcels, each containing a 10-kilogram bag of flour, along with winter kits and personal care kits on Thursday.

This initiative is part of the Kingdom’s continuous humanitarian efforts, through KSrelief, to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people during various crises and hardships, SPA reported.

Meanwhile in Yemen, the Project for Operating Artificial Limbs and Rehabilitation Center in Taiz provided medical services to 434 beneficiaries who lost their limbs in December last year.

The center, being supported by KSrelief, delivered 1,613 services including the delivery, measurement and maintenance of prosthetic limbs, as well as physical therapy and specialized consultations.


UAE, Syria foreign ministers arrive in Riyadh

Updated 11 January 2025
Follow

UAE, Syria foreign ministers arrive in Riyadh

  • Welcomed at King Khalid International Airport by Saudi Deputy FM Waleed Al-Khuraiji

RIYADH: Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE deputy prime minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, arrived in Riyadh on Saturday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He was welcomed at King Khalid International Airport by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji.

Sheikh Abdullah is in the Kingdom to attend an expanded ministerial meeting on Syria to be hosted by Saudi Arabia on Sunday, SPA added.

New Syrian foreign minister Asaad Al-Shaibani also arrived in Riyadh on Saturday evening to participate in the ministerial meeting.

He was also welcomed at King Khalid International Airport by Al-Khuraiji.