Saudi Arabia is a young nation but the history of the Arabs goes back millennia. Preserving that heritage has become a growing concern as modern times and technologies threaten to obscure traditional ways. There is no longer much call for the work of the potter, weaver and wood carver. These craftsmen who held prominent places in daily life are now as rare as fortifications of mud brick.
“Every year we hold one major themed festival and this year we chose to focus on Arab Heritage. The community’s response has been overwhelming,” said Fouad S. Al-Fakhri, GM, Alrashid Mall, Alkhobar. “The Month of Shopping and Arab Heritage was launched July 7 and will run through Aug. 8. Yes, many people have been attracted to Alrashid Mall due to the shopping promotions and raffle, but we have also seen both morning and evening people spending time examining in detail the Arabian Heritage displays. It is very gratifying to observe visitors of every nationality taking an interest in the preservation and propagation of Arab history and traditions.”
According to Al-Fakhri, representatives from four nations, Jordan, Morocco, Bahrain and Sudan, are participating in the festival, as well as many local groups. Students from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) have set up a display of Arab Architectural Heritage. King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, is showing the latest techniques in the planting of date palms. Badrea Al-Nasr, Widad Al-Manea, Amal Al-Omrain, Yousef Al-Marhoum, Essam Jameel and Ismail Khater are just a few of the artists whose works reflecting aspects of Arabian Heritage are being exhibited at the festival.
Abdulkareem M. Tuwili, president, Environmental Design Club, KFUPM, and other club members, are at the exhibit spending many of their evenings explaining to visitors about the development of architecture on the Arabian Peninsula from pre-Islamic times to the early years of the Saudi nation. Their display includes an imposing mud brick tower and other architectural models, which aid in the understanding of this unusual topic.
“Every year the Environmental Design Club visits a different region of the Kingdom, studies the traditional architecture there and then makes an exhibition about our findings for the KFUPM community,” said Tuwili. “By participating in this exhibition we hope more people will be informed about and take an interest in the architectural history of the region.”
“Not much is taught about architecture in Saudi secondary schools,” Tuwili continued. “The way that history is presented is in terms of who did what and when. If architecture were brought into the subject of history, then students would have a better overall view of the times they were studying.”
Giving people a better overall view of history seems to be the primary achievement of Alrashid’s Arabian Heritage festival.
“This is all very nice and interesting,” said Amber Jamel, a British national, watching wood carver Yousef Al-Marhoum at work. “I didn’t know that wood carving existed as a craft in Saudi Arabia. The exhibition here is a good idea because it allows us the opportunity to learn more about the Kingdom and the Saudi people in a convenient setting.”
The exhibition also gave some under-appreciated local craftsmen an opportunity to bring their life’s work to a wider audience. Yousef, who hails from Al-Ahsa, has hand-carved wood for nearly 40 years.
With Yousef hard at work showing his technique to eager onlookers, his brother, Abdullah Al-Marhoum, spoke about the problems of preserving traditional arts in Saudi Arabia.
“My brother and I love wood carving. He loves it so much that sometimes at night he falls asleep slumped down on the table beside his work,” Abdullah said. “But now the life of a wood carver is not easy. People ‘ooh and ahh’ over the work produced but when it comes to buying the finished art, they are hesitant. A 45 by 60 cm piece takes two months to produce and might cost SR5,000 or more, depending on its complexity. While many Saudis would spend SR5,000 for jewelry or a fancy party outfit, few are willing to pay that much for art. I used to work as a wood carver full time like Yousef, but eventually I had no choice but to get regular employment to support my family. It is sad, but soon there won’t be any wood carvers left in the Kingdom if better efforts aren’t made to support their craft.”
While Abdullah’s comment is disheartening, nearby nations are finding ways to allow their traditional craftsmen to earn a decent wage. Saleh Eissa was born in the village of Karbabat in Bahrain. He learned to weave from Abdullah, his grandfather.
“It was expected years ago in Bahrain that during the school vacations, children worked in the family business, learned a craft and generally helped out,” said Eissa. “I never considered doing anything else.”
Surrounded by baskets and mats woven from palm fronds, at first glance Eissa could have been a craftsman transported from a much earlier time to the present. But then he showed some of the new ideas being promoted by Bahraini weavers.
“We still make all the traditional items, but now we create new things, too,” he explained. “We weave animals like giraffes and horses. These are bracelets and hair ornaments. And these, are little baskets that are filled with sugared almonds and other sweets and used as party favors at weddings or for newborns. We have to weave modern things to attract more customers.”
In addition to working alone, Eissa travels with other craftsmen to exhibitions like the one at Alrashid, where he can sell his wares to a new audience. He also is invited to colleges and schools in Bahrain to teach his craft and he gives courses on traditional weaving at clubs and hotels to the Bahraini community.
“In the last 10 years I have worked hard to teach people about palm weaving,” said Eissa. “I will never get rich from this work, but I love it. The more people understand this craft, the more people will respect and support its traditions and help it to survive and grow in modern times.”
Arab News Features 18 July 2003