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JEDDAH: A Saudi artist and photographer has volunteered with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center to support refugees through art in the Zaatari Camp in Jordan.

Nabila Abuljadayel, who specializes in portraying royal families through the medium of silk, decided to use her skills for humanitarian purposes.

Sharing her volunteer experience at the camp with Arab News, Abuljadayel said: “Teaching art inspired a hope in me to give a creative outlet and bring people together through the universal language of art, while documenting, through my lens, the great efforts held by KSrelief and the stories of many faces at the camp. Their strength and perseverance inspire me every day.”

She taught art courses to students of different ages based on their level of skill and knowledge.

Abuljadayel created a coloring book specifically for Syrian refugees that included culturally relevant elements such as a girl wearing her hijab and a boy sitting on his praying mat reading the Qur’an.

She also taught them the basics of drawing and trained them to draw the Grand Mosque of Makkah.

Some of the students tried to recreate her artwork “Wa Isjod Wa Iqtareb” (Prostrate and Draw Near) in their own way.

The painting captures a moment of stillness and contemplation as a cleaner kneels in the courtyard of the Grand Mosque, the only worshipper at the normally bustling holy site.

KSrelief provides art lessons to help refugees cope with trauma, build personal growth, and develop skills that can help them secure employment opportunities in the future.

Nabila Abuljadayel, Saudi artist

“One student, named Ibrahim, showed up early on the last day, very excited to give me a farewell gift of a very beautiful drawing of the Grand Mosque of Makkah on a piece of cardboard since he didn’t have a canvas to draw on,” she said.

“It was inspiring to see how he quickly learned and progressed, working with what resources were available to him. When you get to know the people of Zaatari Camp, you see that glimmer of hope in their eyes, despite what they went through while making the best out of their circumstances.”

She was touched by the positive attitude of the students who expressed excitement for the coloring activities and even asked her to give them additional coloring books for their siblings to enjoy at home.

Abuljadayel believes that among many other challenges, these refugees face, one often overlooked aspect is the need for emotional and psychological healing. Therefore, art helps refugees in their journey toward recovery and self-expression.

“KSrelief provides art lessons to help refugees cope with trauma, build personal growth, and develop skills that can help them secure employment opportunities in the future.”

KSrelief provides a sense of community to the refugees in the camp, offering various options such as medical, psychological, social, artistic, and educational programs that provide an opportunity for expression and healing, which contributes to the improvement of their living conditions.

The supervisor general of KSrelief, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, presented Abuljadayel’s artwork “Salman the Humanitarian” to King Salman at the opening ceremony of the Saudi humanitarian aid platform launched by the King as part of the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum in 2018.

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