BY ROSITSA DOROVSKA
The Ireland Embassy hosted a presentation by Turquoise Mountain titled “Introducing Saudi Arts & Crafts” on Thursday, September 12, 2019. Turquoise Mountain was established in 2006 at the behest of HRH the Prince of Wales to preserve and regenerate historic areas and communities and to revive traditional crafts. In Saudi Arabia, it supports Saudi artisans, especially women. It provides artistic, technical, and economic opportunities that help build a thriving network for them and raise the Saudi craft industry in the international scene.
In line with the Crown Prince’s Vision 2030, the project’s aim is to boost the craftsmanship in Saudi Arabia as a sustainable economic pillar. D. Herbish revealed, “The Turquoise Mountain and the National Program for character and handicrafts are working on including a similar presentation during the upcoming G20 summit which will be held in Riyadh.” After researching thoroughly in the past three years, the partners have discovered the importance of preserving and developing the endangered crafts of Saudi Arabia. They have toured the Kingdom to find skilled artisans and provide them with training, budget, and market.
One of the program’s very successful stories is that of an old jewellery maker from the Farsan islands. Umm Ahmad is an 80-year-old widow who tasseled handicraft pieces. Her work was displayed during the event. From a poor widow trying to make her ends meet, she is now a trainer and her jewels are becoming famous worldwide.
At least 40% of the profit from the handicrafts goes to the artisans themselves so they can be empowered and motivated to participate. Currently, the only retail store of Turquoise Mountain is located at the new Radisson Blu Hotel in the DQ, but the products are available for purchasing via Amazon and the Turquoise Mountain website (https://turquoisemountain.org). For the future, the partners are developing customized series of souvenirs and corporate gifts.
