Introduction to Traditional Crafts in Saudi Cultural Heritage

About the course 

The course provides a comprehensive knowledge framework on traditional handicrafts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, addressing the lack of awareness surrounding the origins of these crafts, their historical development, and their cultural significance as a key component of the Kingdom’s intangible cultural heritage. It explores the historical roots of crafts across different local environments and examines the impact of geographical, economic, and social factors on shaping production patterns. The course also distinguishes between traditional crafts as functional and technical practices based on skill and inherited knowledge, and traditional arts that embody aesthetic and symbolic dimensions.

In addition, the course adopts a contemporary academic approach to classifying crafts according to manufacturing techniques, enabling participants to understand their technical structures, production processes, aesthetic traditions, and relationship to Saudi identity. It offers a progressive knowledge-based introduction that frames crafts as the result of accumulated expertise, applied practices, and inherited systems of quality, while highlighting their place within the contemporary cultural economy and the role of national institutions -particularly the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth)- in safeguarding this heritage and developing practitioners’ skills in a way that balances authenticity and innovation while deepening understanding of the cultural values embedded in traditional crafts.
 

Outcomes

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Understand the fundamental concepts of handicrafts and compare them with traditional arts in terms of characteristics, function, and cultural context.
• Classify traditional handicrafts according to various manufacturing techniques, while explaining the core technical principles underlying each category.
• Apply observation skills to identify local craft features through the study of physical or visual samples, documenting them in a structured manner.
• Present the results of their analysis and observations, either verbally or in writing, utilizing accurate craft terminology and appropriate technical tools.

Entry Requirements

• This course is open to all community members aged 18 years and above, who have a high school diploma or higher accreditation.