Craft Corner at Jazan Festival celebrates local artistry

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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment. (SPA)
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Updated 28 December 2025
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Craft Corner at Jazan Festival celebrates local artistry

JAZAN: In a celebration of the craftsmanship that has long defined Jazan’s cultural landscape, the Craft Corner provides an interactive introduction to traditional handicrafts for visitors to the “This is Jazan” area along the waterfront. 

The corner has drawn steady visitor interest, with guests exploring activities such as henna art, drawing, pottery, and craft design, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The hands-on activities and workshops highlight the artistic value of local folk crafts while reviving traditional practices in a contemporary tourism setting. 

FASTFACTS

• The Craft Corner has drawn steady visitor interest, with guests exploring activities such as henna art, drawing, pottery, and craft design.

• The Jazan Festival 2026 continues until Feb. 15.

The experience, part of the larger Jazan Festival 2026, has been particularly appealing to girls and women, who have shown strong engagement with the creative sessions.

Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment, positioning traditional crafts as a central element of the festival’s cultural offering.

The interactive format encourages participation and helps strengthen visitors’ connection to Jazan’s local identity and heritage.

It is part of the wider “This is Jazan” area, which features 16 themed corners representing the region’s provinces. Together, these spaces display Jazan’s cultural diversity and heritage while supporting quality of life initiatives and reinforcing the region’s ambition to establish itself as a year-round cultural and tourism destination.

The Jazan Festival 2026 kicked off on Dec. 25 with a carnival-style ceremony that included performances, folk shows, and artistic displays from the region’s provinces, highlighting their urban and cultural identities.

The festival continues until Feb. 15, offering a wide range of tourism and entertainment events.

 


Saudi Arabia’s KAUST named FIFA’s first research institute in MENA

The canal in the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology campus. (Shutterstock)
Updated 10 February 2026
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Saudi Arabia’s KAUST named FIFA’s first research institute in MENA

  • KAUST President Prof. Sir Edward Byrne said that the university’s selection as the fifth FIFA Research Institute in the world — and the first in the region — marks a significant achievement, reflecting Kingdom’s growing presence in international football

RIYADH: FIFA has designated the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology as its first research institute in the Middle East and Asia to support the development of innovative football research, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The recognition highlights KAUST’s commitment to integrating sports, academic research and industry through advanced, high-level initiatives grounded in rigorous scientific methodologies, contributing to the advancement of football studies.

KAUST President Prof. Sir Edward Byrne said that the university’s selection as the fifth FIFA Research Institute in the world — and the first in the region — marks a significant achievement, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s growing presence in international football.

The accreditation aligns with national efforts to invest in research and development and promote the knowledge economy, supporting Saudi Vision 2030’s goals of building an advanced sports system based on innovation and sustainability.

The collaboration’s first project focuses on developing advanced AI algorithms to analyze historical FIFA World Cup broadcast footage, transforming decades of match videos into structured, searchable data, according to the KAUST website.

This work opens new opportunities to apply state-of-the-art computer vision techniques and deepen understanding of how football has evolved over time.

The second project uses player and ball tracking data from the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand to compile comprehensive datasets capturing in-game dynamics.

These datasets provide deeper insights into human movement, playing techniques and performance dynamics through AI-driven analysis.