TAIF: Souk Okaz, this year part of Taif Season, features more than 10 shops showcasing traditional swords and daggers, giving visitors more information about these famous historic weapons and how they are made. Formerly instruments of war, in modern times swords and daggers are used in popular games, traditional displays, and on special occasions such as wedding ceremonies as a source of pride.
Weapon makers regularly exhibit their craft at festivals and events such as Souk Okaz, where they are a popular attraction.
Descended from primitive implements made from such materials as stone, wood and bone, weapons evolved as civilization advanced and favored metals such as copper, bronze, iron, steel, and featuring gold and silver. Today’s swords and daggers are made by skilled craftsmen who have often inherited the profession from their fathers and grandfathers.
Prices vary according to the level of manufacturing, with modern weapons featuring elaborate designs and inlays featuring rare and expensive materials, and often being made to order.
The traditional weapon-making industry is an important part of the tourism sector, with visitors to Saudi Arabia considering it one of the country’s most important handicrafts, and it is an important economic contributor to the Kingdom.
Swords and daggers on display wow visitors at Souk Okaz
Swords and daggers on display wow visitors at Souk Okaz
- Prices vary according to the level of manufacturing, with modern weapons featuring elaborate designs and inlays featuring rare and expensive materials, and often being made to order
Saudi defense minister calls on Southern Transitional Council to de-escalate in Yemen
- In a statement addressed “to our people in Yemen” and published on X, Prince Khalid said Saudi Arabia’s intervention came at the request of Yemen’s internationally recognized government
DUBAI: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman called on the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to respond to Saudi-Emirati mediation efforts and de-escalate tensions in eastern Yemen, urging the group to withdraw its forces from camps in Hadramout and Al-Mahra and hand them over peacefully to local authorities.
In a statement addressed “to our people in Yemen” and published on X, Prince Khalid said Saudi Arabia’s intervention came at the request of Yemen’s internationally recognized government and aimed to restore state authority across the country through the Decisive Storm and Restoring Hope operations.
He said the Kingdom has consistently treated the southern issue as a “just political cause” that must be resolved through dialogue and consensus, citing the Riyadh Conference and Riyadh Agreement as frameworks that ensured southern participation in governance and rejected the use of force.
The minister warned that recent events in Hadramout and Al-Mahra since early December had caused divisions that undermine the fight against Yemen’s common enemy and harm the southern cause. He praised southern leaders and groups who, he said, have acted responsibly to support de-escalation and preserve social stability.
Prince Khalid reaffirmed that the southern issue would remain part of any comprehensive political settlement in Yemen and stressed that it must be resolved through trust-building and national consensus, not actions that could fuel further conflict.
(إلى أهلِنا في اليمن)
— Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) December 27, 2025
استجابةً لطلب الشرعية اليمنية قامت المملكة بجمع الدول الشقيقة للمشاركة في تحالف دعم الشرعية بجهودٍ ضخمة في إطار عمليتي (عاصفة الحزم وإعادة الأمل) في سبيل استعادة سيطرة الدولة اليمنية على كامل أراضيها، وكان لتحرير المحافظات الجنوبية دورٌ محوريٌ في تحقيق ذلك.…
