JEDDAH: The Ministry of Culture has announced 2025 as the “Year of Handicrafts,” recognizing the cultural and artistic significance of this tradition in Saudi society.

The initiative, approved by the Cabinet, aims to celebrate Saudi artisans’ creativity and showcase their talents globally.

Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan expressed appreciation for the Cabinet’s decision and emphasized the importance of preserving and promoting Saudi cultural heritage, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Badr said: “At the Ministry of Culture, we work to instill pride in the national identity and all the tangible and intangible cultural elements associated with it.

“This is one of the goals of the National Cultural Strategy under the umbrella of Saudi Vision 2030, which places national identity and Saudi culture among its ambitious objectives.”

The “Year of Handicrafts” will serve as a platform to honor this essential component of national identity, celebrating its cultural and artistic value.

Prince Badr added: “Saudi handicrafts reflect the creativity of Saudi society through weaving, handmade artifacts and artistic innovations passed down through generations.

“Among these are pottery, traditional clothing, ceramic utensils, leatherwork, copperwork, tailoring, dyeing, blacksmithing, gold and jewelry crafting, and other handmade creations by Saudi artisans.”

The Ministry of Culture aims to elevate Saudi handicrafts locally and internationally, empowering artisans and boosting their contribution to the economy.

This will be achieved through events organized with partners to highlight the cultural, historical and economic importance of handicrafts.

Since 2020, the ministry has celebrated an annual “cultural year” to honor key elements of Saudi culture.

The “Year of Arabic Calligraphy” was celebrated in 2020 and extended into 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Kingdom celebrated 2022 as the “Year of Saudi Coffee,” 2023 as the “Year of Arabic Poetry,” and 2024 is the “Year of the Camel.”

The “Year of Handicrafts” in 2025 promises to celebrate the artistry and heritage that form the core of Saudi identity, ensuring that this invaluable legacy is preserved and shared globally.

DUBAI: Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Wednesday the dangerous situation in Gaza requires all parties to double their efforts to deal with the latest developments. 

Prince Faisal made the remarks as he attended an Arab-Islamic ministerial committee meeting in Jordan focused on halting the conflict in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Jordan's foreign minister said Israel is pushing the whole Middle East to the brink of regional conflict by maintaining a dangerous escalation on several fronts. 

Ayman Safadi said following the meeting that peace would not prevail without a two-state solution. 

The Islamic and Arab committee, established to coordinate a global response, will consider action during the upcoming high-level meetings of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, according to the Jordan News Agency (Petra).

It includes representatives from Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, Indonesia, Nigeria and Bahrain, as well as the secretary-generals of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.