Buraidah, 4 Rajab 1447 AH (24 December 2025)

Under the patronage of Qassim University President Prof. Mohammed bin Fahad Al-Sharekh, the conference "Handicrafts in the Age of Digital Transformation: Opportunities and Challenges" opened today, organized by the College of Arts and Design at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center on the university campus, with a roster of academics, experts and handicraft-sector stakeholders taking part.

In her opening remarks, College of Arts and Design Dean Dr. Dalal Al-Otaibi said the conference is held to coincide with the Year of Handicrafts 2025, aiming to highlight handicrafts as an important cultural and economic component, their role in preserving national identity, supporting scientific research, and strengthening the sector's sustainability amid rapid digital shifts.

She pointed to the Kingdom's efforts to support handicrafts and artisans through the establishment of specialized authorities, institutions and associations, the staging of exhibitions and events, and encouraging the development of craft trades, backed by the leadership's support — may God protect them — helping empower artisans and raise the competitiveness of their products.

The conference runs over two days with a packed scientific program comprising four sessions covering several themes, most notably handicrafts and artificial intelligence, harnessing modern technology to boost production and quality, digital marketing for handicrafts, the role of business incubators in supporting artisans, and developing small and medium enterprises to achieve sustainable development.

The conference also includes a number of applied workshops focused on developing handicraft skills and reviewing mechanisms for preserving and developing these trades in the digital-transformation era, alongside accompanying exhibitions highlighting initiatives and practices that support the sustainability of handicrafts.

Qassim University's president toured the accompanying exhibition, which featured participation from a number of authorities, institutions and civil-society associations, as well as specialized companies and artisans who displayed their handmade products and experiences, in addition to the College of Arts and Design's pavilion, which showcased the college's efforts and initiatives supporting this vital sector, and he praised the creative ideas and distinguished crafts on display.

The conference also saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Qassim University and the Wrath Royal Institute for Traditional Arts on training and activating joint initiatives, signed by the university president and the institute's CEO Dr. Suzan bint Mohammed Al-Yahya. A separate cooperation memorandum was signed between the university, represented by the College of Arts and Design, and a military-clothing and equipment factory, signed by the university's Vice President for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Dr. Waleed Al-Battah and the factory's CEO Sulaiman Al-Saeed.

At the close of day one, the university president honored the participating and supporting bodies, along with the specialists and researchers who took part in the conference, in recognition of their scientific and professional contributions to supporting and developing the handicrafts sector.