JEDDAH: The number of artisans, both male and female, in the Kingdom has reached 9,240, 12 percent of whom are in the Eastern Province, according to Abdullatif Al-Banyan of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) in the Eastern Province.
During a meeting of the National Program for Handicrafts, in which 60 people from the public and private sector participated, he said 44 professions in the field were facing the possibility of dying out.
He said the aim of the meeting was to introduce the participants to the program as one of the initiatives of the national strategy for supporting the handicrafts in the cultural, social and economic sectors.
“Handicrafts and their skills represent the most beautiful aspects of heritage and creativity, as well as to how people lived and thought,” said Al-Banyan. He described handcrafts and creative arts as “a cultural legacy that contributes to improving income and living standards and providing employment opportunities.”
He said the SCTNH aims to “develop handicrafts and support productive families in marketing their products through festivals, activities and exhibitions in coordination with charities and marketing centers, as well as conducting courses by experts and specialists in the field.”
According to Al-Hareth Al-Omari, director of the Department of Training and Development at the SCTNH, charities, private, and government institutions aim to support the National Program for Handicrafts by providing training, investment and support as well as creating job opportunities in the sector.
The supervisor of the program in the Eastern Province, Abdul Majeed Al-Samael, said the SCTNH had worked in coordination with several bodies to identify craftsmen in the area, noting that craftsmen had participated in some of the most important cultural activities in the Eastern Province.
Saudi artisans prevent 44 skills from dying out
Saudi artisans prevent 44 skills from dying out
How science is reshaping early years education
DUBAI: As early years education comes under renewed scrutiny worldwide, one UAE-based provider is making the case that nurseries must align more closely with science.
Blossom Nursery & Preschool, which operates 32 locations across the UAE, is championing a science-backed model designed to close what it sees as a long-standing gap between research and classroom practice.
“For decades, early years education has been undervalued globally — even though science shows the first five years are the most critical for brain development,” said Lama Bechara-Jakins, CEO for the Middle East at Babilou Family and a founding figure behind Blossom’s regional growth, in an interview with Arab News.
She explained that the Sustainable Education Approach was created to address “a fundamental gap between what we know from science and what actually happens in nurseries.”
Developed by Babilou Family, the approach draws on independent analysis of research in neuroscience, epigenetics, and cognitive and social sciences, alongside established educational philosophies and feedback from educators and families across 10 countries. The result is a framework built around six pillars; emotional and physical security, natural curiosity, nature-based learning, inclusion, child rhythms, and partnering with parents.
Two research insights, Bechara-Jakins says, were particularly transformative. “Neuroscience shows that young children cannot learn until they feel safe,” she said, adding that stress and inconsistent caregiving can “literally alter the architecture of the developing brain.”
Equally significant was evidence around child rhythms, which confirmed that “pushing children academically too early is not just unhelpful — it can be counterproductive.”
Feedback from families and educators reinforced these findings. Across regions, common concerns emerged around pressure on young children, limited outdoor time and weak emotional connections in classrooms. What surprised her most was that “parents all sensed that something was missing, even if they couldn’t articulate the science behind it.”
At classroom level, the strongest body of evidence centres on secure relationships. Research shows that “secure attachments drive healthy brain development” and that children learn through trusted adults. At Blossom, this translates into practices such as assigning each child “one primary educator,” prioritising calm environments, and viewing behaviour through “a neuroscience lens — as stress signals, not misbehaviour.”
Bechara-Jakins believes curiosity and nature remain overlooked in many early years settings, despite strong evidence that both accelerate learning and reduce stress. In urban centres such as Dubai, she argues, nature-based learning is “not a luxury. It is a developmental need.”
For Blossom, this means daily outdoor time, natural materials, gardening, and sensory play — intentional choices aimed at giving children what science says they need to thrive.
