In conjunction with the Year of Handicrafts and with the participation of 42 cities, Al-Ahsa Hosts the "Creative Cities" Forum in the UNESCO Global Network
Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Talal bin Badr, Governor of Al-Ahsa, the forum organized by the Municipality of Al-Ahsa, in collaboration with the Governorate of Al-Ahsa, the Al-Ahsa Development Authority, the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, the Heritage Commission, and with the sponsorship of the Abdul Monim Al-Rashid Humanitarian Foundation, organized the "Creative Cities" forum for UNESCO Creative Cities Network members. The event, held over three days, included the participation of 42 creative cities from around the world specializing in handicrafts and folk arts. Attendees included representatives from creative cities worldwide, as well as several government officials and artisans.
During the opening ceremony, His Highness and the attendees enjoyed folk art performances and a documentary film about the handicrafts in Al-Ahsa. His Highness also witnessed the signing of a twinning agreement between Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, and Madaba, Jordan, both of which are part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
The Governor of Al-Ahsa stated that "Al-Ahsa Creative," through collaborative efforts, has contributed to achieving general goals that integrate education with cultural and creative activities, fostering the sustainability of handicrafts and folk arts. This has enabled Al-Ahsa over the past years to share its expertise and experiences in preserving handicrafts and folk arts with creative cities globally through various international meetings and events.
His Highness emphasized that Al-Ahsa’s hosting of creative cities members in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, specifically in the field of handicrafts and arts, highlights the region's creative capabilities, rich cultural heritage, and longstanding history in the craft and folk arts sector, positioning it alongside other global counterparts.
He also noted that Al-Ahsa is the first Gulf city and the third Arab city in the network's creative field. It serves as the vice-president of the Creative Cities of Crafts and Folk Arts cluster under UNESCO, thus enabling close collaboration for development programs with other creative cities for sustainable growth and heritage preservation, as well as the exchange of experiences and cooperation between member cities.
At the end of the ceremony, His Highness honored the participating and supporting entities, as well as the founding committee that worked on Al-Ahsa's inclusion in the Creative Cities Network in 2015.
Promoting Creativity and Innovation
For his part, Al-Ahsa mayor Eng. Essam bin Abdul Latif Al-Mulla explained that the "Creative Cities" forum under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for handicrafts and folk arts aims to enhance and support creativity in this field through several main objectives. These include:
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Fostering creativity and innovation by encouraging artisans and artists to develop their skills and produce innovative works that reflect the region’s cultural identity
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Preserving traditional handicrafts and local arts as part of intangible cultural heritage and passing them on to future generations
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Providing a platform for cultural exchange between artisans and artists from creative cities around the world to enhance international understanding and cooperation
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Supporting economic development and enhancing cultural tourism
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Building capacity through training programs and workshops to enhance artisans' and artists' skills
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Encouraging cooperation between creative cities within the UNESCO network to exchange experiences and best practices in handicrafts and folk arts, and raising awareness of the importance of handicrafts and arts as a means of expressing culture and community identity.
Sustainability of Handicrafts
The hosting of the "Creative Al-Ahsa" event coincided with Saudi Arabia's designation of 2025 as the "Year of Handicrafts" to celebrate the unique value of handicrafts in Saudi culture, highlight its creative industries, and showcase the exceptional handmade products and crafts created by Saudi artisans to the international community.
During the forum, workshops, meetings, and experience exchanges were held, along with field and cultural tours where participants learned about the municipality’s efforts in sustaining the preservation of handicrafts and folk arts. These visits included the historic Al-Qaisariah Market, the Artisans' Market, and various heritage landmarks in the region.