Winners for this year’s Souk Okaz handicraft creativity award were announced on Monday by the National Handicraft Program Bari, a flagship program of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA).

These awards are conferred annually to highlight the works of creative artisans and recognize their efforts in the field.

Prince Sultan bin Salman, SCTA president and chairman of the supervising committee of Bari, has approved the names of the winners, an SCTA spokesperson said.

He said that the award carries a cash prize of SR500,000 covering 70 winners including male and female participants from different parts of the Kingdom.

The first 10 winners of the award are Bakheta Salim Hamoud Al Atawi, Jamila Saleh Saeed Al Ghamdi, A’mal Al Etaibi, Nafla Salim Al Nefai, Rahma Abdul Rahman Falata, Mnayer bint Saleh bin Nasir Al Dosari, Ogaba Dakheel Allah Mosa Al Thagafi, Bushra Freh Mo’awd Al Anzi, Nowair Al Etaibi and Shabeba Meyoud Shalaheeb Al Jeaid.

The first class winners will be honored with the award and their works displayed on national and international occasions, where Bari participates, the official said.

The winners competed in different areas of the award that include Al Sido, textile, handmade carpet, crochet, heritage costume, needlework, raw material decoration and handicraft products, he added.

Bari hands out these awards in an attempt to stimulate creativity in handicraft and encourage artisans to promote their skills in the field of handicraft, he underlined.

The artisans’ works were evaluated and examined by an international jury comprising six members where the works were judged in a live practice session on the Okaz Souk Avenue in Souk Okaz in Taif.

In its efforts to promote the award, Bari contacted chief of handicraft development at the research center for Islamic history art and culture in Turkey to utilize the center’s expertise in the judgment of the award.

The winners will receive their awards from the SCTA president in a special function at the tourism commission headquarters later.

Bari is considered one of the most important routes of the King Abdullah project for caring for cultural heritage which was approved by the Council of Ministers to preserve the cultural heritage of the Kingdom, maintain it and raise awareness of its economic and cultural role and introduce its genuine components at the national and international levels.