Programs of the 2025 Creative Cities Forum in Al-Ahsa Governorate

Programs of the Creative Cities Forum in Al-Ahsa Governorate

The Creative Cities Forum held in Al-Ahsa Governorate featured workshops, meetings, and the exchange of expertise, in addition to field and cultural tours. Through these activities, participants learned about the efforts of the Al-Ahsa Municipality and its contributions to sustaining traditional crafts and folk arts. The tours included the historic Al-Qaisariya Market, the Artisans' Market, and several heritage landmarks for which the governorate is renowned.

Examples of Practices and Expertise:

Artist Hussainin Al-Raml presented practices and expertise in folk arts, along with practical experiences in heritage preservation.

Efforts and Initiatives:
The Heritage Commission delivered two lectures by the following speakers:

• Ms. Hanan Al-Sahan, who addressed "The Heritage Commission’s Efforts and Initiatives in Preserving Traditional Crafts."

• Ms. Rahaf Al-Subaie, who spoke about "Al-Ahsa: A Renewed Civilizational Landscape – The Intersection of Managing World Heritage and Al-Ahsa’s Designation as a Creative City."

Sessions and Workshops Included in the Forum:

• Dr. Ibrahim Al-Shabith opened the main session of the second day of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) forum, titled "Marketing Crafts and Folk Arts Among UNESCO Cities."

• A roundtable discussion was held on "Protecting Endangered Artists and Cultures Through a Cultural Ecosystem and the Influence of Leaders and Decision-Makers." The session explored ways to enhance cooperation among creative cities in addressing contemporary cultural challenges. Key highlights included:

  • Some artisans in Al-Ahsa have transitioned from simple professions to becoming entrepreneurs and investors.

  • Two weeks of training at the Madaba Institute in Jordan are sufficient to produce mosaic artworks.

  • The National Committee for Culture, Education, and Science plays a strong logistical role in supporting the work of cities and aspires to register more cities in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network. The committee is keen to highlight the potential of UNESCO Creative Cities.

Events of the Forum’s Third Day:

Upon invitation by the Abdulmunim Al-Rashed Humanitarian Foundation, the third day’s meeting was held at the "Al-Sabakh" resort, coinciding with the foundation’s global handicrafts and folk arts event at the same location. The outcomes of the Jinju Coordination Meeting were presented, along with an evaluation of the UCCN’s results.

• Joint programs between different cities were reviewed, such as craft exhibitions and youth creativity development camps.

• Ways to enhance cooperation among creative cities in arts and crafts were discussed, including collaboration in media platforms such as websites, the International Journal of Crafts and Folk Arts, and newsletters.

• The replacement of regional coordinators for Arab states in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network—whose two-year terms had ended—was discussed.