Jazan’s craft revival supports heritage goals

Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions. (SPA)
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Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions. (SPA)
Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions. (SPA)
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Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions. (SPA)
Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions. (SPA)
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Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions. (SPA)
Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions. (SPA)
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Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions. (SPA)
Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions. (SPA)
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Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions. (SPA)
Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions. (SPA)
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Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions. (SPA)
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Updated 19 May 2025

Jazan’s craft revival supports heritage goals

Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts. (SPA)
  • The program aims to revive qa’aid making, once used to create beds and chairs in traditional Jazan homes
  • Trainers teach palm frond binding methods and encourage innovative designs suitable for today’s markets

RIYADH: The Artisans House in Jazan is helping to preserve traditional handicrafts that have declined in recent years in the face of modern technology.

This effort, to help contribute to the region’s cultural heritage, supports the Heritage Commission’s goal of developing Saudi artisans’ skills while promoting the aesthetic and authentic qualities of local crafts through training, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Some 30 artisans are enrolled on a year-long program focused on qa’aid making, taqiyah weaving, and seashell crafts, reconnecting with regional traditions.

Guided by specialized trainers, participants learn traditional techniques and explore modern design adaptations, the SPA added.

The program aims to revive qa’aid making, once used to create beds and chairs in traditional Jazan homes. Trainers teach palm frond binding methods and encourage innovative designs suitable for today’s markets.

Trainees in taqiyah weaving use white thread for traditional knitted caps.

Artisans also work with seashells to make bracelets, necklaces, ornaments, bags, and sculptures inspired by marine themes.

The Artisans House provides local youngsters with hands-on experience in heritage crafts, serving as a center for cultural education and training.

The initiative supports knowledge transfer to future generations and aligns with the Year of Handicrafts 2025, which aims to preserve and promote ’s craft traditions.


Savvy Games Group signs MoU with HUMAIN to expand use of AI across operations

Savvy Games Group signs MoU with HUMAIN to expand use of AI across operations
Updated 06 November 2025

Savvy Games Group signs MoU with HUMAIN to expand use of AI across operations

Savvy Games Group signs MoU with HUMAIN to expand use of AI across operations
  • Agreement announced this week sets the stage for both companies to explore the development of customized AI models
  • CEO of Savvy Games Group Brian Ward: We are looking forward to working with HUMAIN to identify and unlock ways that would enhance the way we utilize AI at Savvy

RIYADH: Savvy Games Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with HUMAIN, the Saudi-owned artificial intelligence company, to integrate AI systems into the gaming group’s operations.

The agreement announced this week sets the stage for both companies to explore the development of customized AI models.

It also gives Savvy access to HUMAIN’s cloud-based data centers and computing infrastructure, positioning the partnership as both a technology and capability-sharing arrangement between two Public Investment Fund portfolio firms.

“We are looking forward to working with HUMAIN to identify and unlock ways that would enhance the way we utilize AI at Savvy,” said Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy Games Group.

For HUMAIN, the deal comes shortly after the launch of HUMAIN ONE, its agentic AI operating system announced at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh last month.

The company positions the system as a foundation for sector-specific AI deployment, including gaming — a field HUMAIN says is now entering a phase where AI can shape both productivity and creative output.

“Game development is one of the most exciting fields where the effective use of AI solutions can make a tangible impact on boosting both creativity and productivity,” said HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin.

Savvy, which is backed by a $38 billion investment mandate from PIF, has been positioned as a key player in ’s ambition to become a global gaming hub.

While most of the company’s public activity has focused on investments and industry consolidation, the MoU suggests a shift toward internal AI capability-building as the domestic gaming market matures.

HUMAIN, meanwhile, sits at the center of ’s emerging sovereign AI stack, covering data centers, model training and AI solutions designed for both government and private-sector clients.

Its focus on building Arabic-trained large language models and sector-specific applications has aligned the company with national digital priorities, including localization of core technologies and talent development.

The partnership also reflects a broader strategy inside PIF to create interoperability across portfolio companies, particularly in digital infrastructure and emerging tech.

Rather than treating AI as a standalone product, the agreement signals a move toward shared platforms, shared data layers and unified technical standards — a direction Saudi policymakers have repeatedly stressed as part of Vision 2030’s digital economy agenda.

Neither company disclosed financial terms or a project timeline, but both confirmed that joint R&D initiatives are part of the scope, including experimentation with new AI-driven tools for future gaming projects.

If successfully executed, the agreement would make Savvy one of the first large-scale gaming entities in the region to operationalize AI beyond content recommendation and analytics — shifting it into areas such as automated workflows, talent systems and creative asset generation.