Arab Magazine 584

Handicrafts stand out in this era, where almost nothing escapes being industrially made and produced, within the lines of industrial production represented by giant factories in various countries around the world. This is a feature that reflects one of the manifestations of human development aimed at easing people's lives and improving the quality of life. We find the latest and most precise products that are also the most durable and high-quality wherever we look, but there is a perceptual void, if I may say so, which we only find in those products and crafts that have been touched by human hands, giving them their uniqueness and their symbolic and material value that are not available in others. Materially, the value of handmade products jumps to many times the value of industrial products, highlighting the economic aspect that invests in a manual production line targeting high-quality products with high material value for specific segments. Symbolically, it relates to the cultural identity of a people, a region, or perhaps a specific individual. The most beautiful thing is when both aspects—material and symbolic—combine, achieving both financial return and cultural symbolism, as seen, for example, in eastern Saudi Arabia in the making of the Besh (Al-Mashlah), which has become a luxurious, valuable handmade craft with cultural symbolism for the place and the ancient Al-Ahsa component, as well as the making of the Janbiya (white weapon) in southern Saudi Arabia, most notably Nagrān. Today, handicrafts or manual industries are present on this duality; they are an investment in culture, not merely a nostalgic longing for the past, with the certainty that their connection to the tangible heritage of humans and places is one of the pillars of their importance. They are among the narrators of history, telling of the struggles of ancestors to provide what enables them to live and meet their needs, even minimally. Therefore, handicrafts become an important cultural and symbolic asset. In this context, Saudi Arabia has decided to name the current year 2025 AD as the Year of Handicrafts, emphasizing the importance of this cultural dimension within our Arab symbolic fabric, reminding generations of the meanings of the stories of ancestors, their patience, creativity, impact, and heritage. It also aims to stimulate the spirit of thinking towards maximizing investment in culture through one of its distinguished resources, which is handicrafts.