RIYADH: A volunteer team has been assisting young children who visit the Riyadh International Book Fair, which was inaugurated last Wednesday in the Saudi capital and ends next Saturday.
Called “Once Upon a Time,” the team comprises young and enthusiastic members who help children have a meaningful experience while visiting the book fair.
“The bottom line is to help them develop their skills in various ways such as in expressing themselves. We help them gain self-confidence in asking and answering questions,” said Shahad Al-Ahmari, one of the team members.
As the children show up with their mothers at a predetermined assembly point at the book fair, team members guide them around the exhibition area where they meet other children and older people for the first time.
“They know how to carry themselves and react because we have earlier taught them things they should know if and when that happens,” Al-Ahmari said.
She added that “while we help and guide them, we also assess how they interact with young and old people alike, and what kind of books they want to read that can help them gain self-confidence.”
She added that they also determine the tendencies as well as preference of every child regarding reading which serves a larger project the team adopted.
This larger project is titled ‘Simply the Values of the Young’, in connection with the book fair, which was organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information, she said
The book fair is held under the auspices of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.
Members of the group hold weekly meetings regarding their activities and say that they hope to have members all over the Kingdom.
Volunteers guide children at Riyadh Book Fair
Volunteers guide children at Riyadh Book Fair
Minzal brings Saudi traditions to life in Diriyah
- From leather crafts and archery to Saudi coffee, Minzal offers a lesson in ‘Sloum Al-Arab’
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.
“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.”
