JEDDAH: The brainchild of 22-year-old Saudi illustrator Hana Al-Ghamdi, the Hanaamichi Store is an online shop that offers printing solutions for producing posters, small cards, sketchbook covers and T-shirts.
“In the future, I am planning to expand the operations and make collections of digital artwork including stickers, pins and files,” Al-Ghamdi said.
Her original artwork can be found on oil and watercolor paintings, and clothes that have the artwork printed or painted on by hand.
The store made its debut in March at the Artist Alley at Comic Con Jeddah. “Even though it was my last semester in college, I didn’t hesitate,” she said. “I wanted to participate so badly that it took me two months to plan and make artwork for the event. My friends helped me a lot in the beginning, and the responses I received from people at that time meant a lot to me. I had so much fun in the whole process. Now the products are available on Instagram.”
The theme of her artwork is mostly aesthetics. Al-Ghamdi uses fashion and models heavily in her work. “My art style is inspired by Korean artists. I love the vibes of their work and I am trying to implement that in mine,” she said.
Not only is her artwork tied to traditional methods, but she is also very skilled in digital art. “I use Adobe Photoshop for making artwork and designing it for printing,” she said.
Al-Ghamdi is proud of the quality of the materials used in her merchandise. “The products are provided by the printing store itself, except for the papers inside the sketchbooks,” she said. “I buy the paper depending on what I think is most suitable for drawing and ask them to use it.”
Her appreciation for art was sparked at the age of 15, and she has been pursuing her artwork for eight years. “When I was 15, one of our art teachers taught us about the importance of art and encouraged all of us. I started creating characters and short stories like the ones in the Japanese anime shows I used to watch. I did not improve much at the beginning, until I started following other amazing artists. I have not stopped learning and practicing since then,” she said. Follow Al-Ghamdi’s Instagram store account (@hanaamichi.store) to check out her products.
Startup of the Week: Jeddah girl goes digital to showcase artwork
Startup of the Week: Jeddah girl goes digital to showcase artwork
- Not only is her artwork tied to traditional methods, but she is also very skilled in digital art
Saudi Arabia, Estonia strengthen cyber defense cooperation
- Renowned for its leadership in digital governance, Estonia sees cybersecurity as central to its partnership potential with Saudi Arabia, building on years of regional engagement through its technology firms
RIYADH: Estonia aims to deepen defense, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence cooperation with Saudi Arabia as both nations look to advance technology‑driven defense and cybersecurity capabilities.
Hanno Pevkur, Estonia’s minister of defense, told Arab News at the World Defense Show in Riyadh on Monday that Estonia’s defense industry is eager to contribute to the Kingdom’s fast‑growing defense ecosystem.
“In the modern world, cooperation built on trust and technology is the best defense,” he said. “It is important for us to be here because we clearly see there is a possibility to increase cooperation, not only bilaterally between Saudi Arabia and Estonia, but across the region.”
At Estonia’s pavilion, a cooperation agreement was signed between an Estonian company and a Saudi firm during the show, he noted.
Pevkur also said Estonia’s defense sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, driven by technological innovation and partnership.
“Our defense industry is growing very rapidly, and we continue to see strong momentum,” he said.
He said Estonia’s strengths lie in digital and smart‑system integration rather than large‑scale weapons production.
“We will not build airplanes or tanks, but what we can do is integrate robotics, automation and drones to make existing systems smarter,” he said.
The minister said effective defense collaboration must link businesses and governments to achieve meaningful results.
“When we want to have real cooperation, we need it on all levels,” he said. “The biggest client for any defense company is the government, so we must treat this as one ecosystem where the public and private sectors work hand in hand.”
Renowned for its leadership in digital governance, Estonia sees cybersecurity as central to its partnership potential with Saudi Arabia, building on years of regional engagement through its technology firms.
Pevkur said several Estonian companies, including Nortal, have already assisted Gulf governments in developing open IT and digital‑service systems.
“As the most digitalized nation in the world, almost every service in Estonia can be done online, except getting married,” he said. “But with such digitalization, we also need strong cyberdefense.”
He said data protection and digital resilience are treated as matters of national sovereignty in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.
“Data is what we own. When someone steals that data, it becomes a serious threat,” he added. “That is why cyberdefense is not just about technology, it is about trust, sovereignty and protection.”
Pevkur said Saudi Arabia’s advances in AI offer promising opportunities for collaboration.
“I know that Saudi Arabia is doing great work when it comes to AI,” he said. “For us, as a small country with limited human resources, AI is essential not just for defense but for everyday life.”
Pevkur added that Estonia has launched a national AI strategy to promote responsible development and closer coordination between government and industry. One Estonian company, he said, has developed a system that allows a single operator to control hundreds of drones through AI.
“It is quite easy to put a weapon into the hands of a robot, but we also need to define who is accountable for its actions,” he said.
“The big question for the future is whether we can allow a war to be fought entirely by AI, or if humans must always make the final ethical decisions.”
He said in his conclusion that governments must reach a common understanding on how AI will be used and regulated on the battlefield.
