Year of Handicrafts Spotlights Saudi Woodwork Heritage

New wooden artwork initiatives celebrating rural life and traditional Saudi craftsmanship are taking center stage as part of nationwide cultural programs. With 2025 designated as the national Year of Handicrafts, a series of efforts running into 2026 are highlighting woodworking, wood carving, carpentry, and Najdi door craftsmanship as living expressions of the Kingdom's heritage.

Several programs are driving the revival. The Heritage Commission's Artisans House uses heritage and archaeological sites as venues for training and product-development workshops in traditional crafts, including woodwork, with participation details managed directly by the Commission. Its Ibda'a online platform serves as the official national licensing channel for artisans, having licensed more than 4,800 craftspeople in 2025 as it continues to regulate and professionalize handicraft activities.

In Jeddah, the "Made in the Red Sea" initiative connects the Red Sea Museum with a craft and design studio to create contemporary pieces inspired by Red Sea heritage, with a first phase covering woodwork, metalwork, leather, and ceramics.

Training the next generation

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) runs national programs focused on Najdi doors, carpentry, and wood carving, including awareness campaigns tied to the Year of Handicrafts. At its campus in Unayzah, Qassim region, Wrth offers a Najdi Woodworking and Door Arts Apprenticeship Program covering traditional carving, ornamentation, and door construction using both heritage and modern techniques. The 18-month apprenticeship is free of charge for Saudi citizens, with new cohorts opening for registration via Wrth's official website, including one starting 23 August 2026.

Beyond workshops, roadside cultural signage under the "Wrth Saudi" initiative highlights Najdi door craftsmanship, mud construction, carpentry, and wood carvings along major highways linking Riyadh with Dammam, Makkah with Madinah, and Riyadh with Qassim — turning travel routes into cultural corridors. For residents and visitors alike, these efforts offer practical ways to learn traditional skills and connect with a craft heritage that shapes homes and communities across the Kingdom.

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