Hail — July 16, 2025

The "wood carving" pavilion at the Bait Hail 2025 festival — held at Aja Park under the theme "The House Is Your House... Oh, Dear Guest" — drew the attention of thousands of visitors, showcasing one of the oldest heritage crafts practiced by artisans across the Kingdom's regions for centuries, in a style that reflects the craftsman's skill and ancestral legacy.

In an interview, veteran craftsman Saleh Ibrahim Al-Saeed, one of the field's most prominent creators, said his experience with hand-carving spans more than 36 years, during which he has shown his work at local, Gulf and Arab exhibitions and festivals, presenting distinctive pieces that express Saudi heritage with a creative spirit.

Traditional Tools and Techniques

Al-Saeed said the most commonly used types of wood in his work are athel (tamarisk) and olive wood, given their hardness and flexibility, which allow him to shape figures and engravings with high precision using traditional tools, chiefly hand chisels. Each piece takes between three and 30 days to complete, depending on its size and level of detail.

The display included artistic figures, heritage tools and decorative engravings reflecting the authentic aesthetic sense and craftsmanship once used in household crafts, decoration and everyday necessities.

A Festival Alive With Heritage

The fourth edition of the Bait Hail 2025 festival features more than 40 heritage and artistic activities that shed light on life in the region in earlier times, including handicraft displays, traditional dress, folk food and performing arts, aimed at reinforcing cultural identity and introducing new generations and tourists to Hail's heritage.

Al-Saeed concluded by saying such participation helps pass on expertise to future generations, calling for support for initiatives that preserve traditional crafts and integrate them into the contemporary cultural scene.