MAKKAH: Saudi Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs, and Housing Majid Al-Hogail recently went on an inspection tour of Makkah and the holy sites to check preparations for this year’s Hajj season.
During the trip, he was briefed by officials on the readiness of municipal centers in Mina and Arafat and places of disembarkation in Muzdalifah to deal with the influx of pilgrims.
The minister’s site visits also involved inspecting plans for cleaning work, programs for maintaining public health and food safety, environmental sanitation works, road maintenance, lighting systems operation, and the cleaning of rainwater and torrential drainage networks.
In addition, Al-Hogail examined a model showing municipal service centers inside the holy sites and he reviewed the municipality’s plans to use a network of 58 tunnels to ease traffic circulation in and around Makkah where an estimated 22,000 staff members will be on hand to help worshippers perform Hajj.
From leather crafts and archery to Saudi coffee, Minzal offers a lesson in ‘Sloum Al-Arab’
Updated 07 January 2026
Haifa Alshammari
RIYADH: This season of Minzal places social norms and traditional etiquette at its center, with tents set up to teach what is locally known as “Sloum Al-Arab” alongside gatherings for coffee, dinner and stargazing around campfires.
“Sloum Al-Arab” refers to the unwritten customers and values that have shaped Arab and Bedouin society for centuries, including generosity, coffee preparation, courage and archery.
In Saudi Arabia, these traditions are closely ties to cultural identity and religious belief.
Leather products and the making of leather goods is one of the crafts featured at Minzal this year and is one of the oldest crafts still practiced in the kingdom.
“The most difficult thing I faced to work on was camel leather because it is a little tough,” Nada Samman, a leather trainer and craftsman at Minzal, told Arab News.
Minzal continues to evolve with each season, offering activities that highlight Bedouin values, traditional skills and sports. (AN photo by Haifa Alshammari)
“The work on leather is wonderful whether it is goat leather, cow leather, Sawakni sheep, and of course, camel leather. At Minzal, we are offering multiple handicraft workshops, most specifically the leather handicrafts. We want visitors to spend time at something useful and fun."
Samman explained the workshops allowed participants to preserve heritage while engaging in meaning, hands on activities.
Faisal Al-Khaled, a visual artist and craftsman specializing in Saudi designs at Minzal, shared a similar goal: “I want people to have, by the end of this experience, a unique and traditional art piece created by them, and that I know I helped them to preserve this craft.”
Minzal, which has been organized for several years now, continues to evolve with each season, offering activities that highlight Bedouin values, traditional skills and sports. Archery is a key feature, reflecting its deep roots in Arab and Islamic history.
Mohammed Al-Sharif, a certified archery player and coach with the Saudi Archery Federation since 2028, said the sport was closely connected to Saudi culture. It was encouraged by the Prophet Muhammad, which led people to learn and teach it through generations.
“Our traditional bow is considered one of the most important and widely used bows in Arab culture,” Al-Sharif said. “We have several styles, and professional archers specializing in traditional bow shooting … There are various types of archery, such as horseback archery and standing archery, where bow sizes vary according to specific needs, such as types used for hunting and others used during warfare.”
He explained that archery was historically part of daily life, used for protection and hunting.
Saudi coffee also plays a significant role in the Minzal experience, with live demonstrations. One of the most frequently consumed beverages in the Kingdom, it is a symbol of hospitality and generosity.
Ahmed Al-Shuaibi explained how it was prepared at the Sloum tent, first by roasting the beans and then allowing them to cool. The beans are ground with spices in a Nigr.
“Coffee is passed from our grandparents,” he added. “In significant majlis, you see them offering our local coffee and not other types of coffee. We organized this corner so that young generations can visit and learn this.”
