RIYADH: The Diriyah Gate Development Authority launched its Handicraft School, a 12-week training program that seeks to strengthen residents’ connection to the past by teaching the skills and mastery of local handicrafts. The program provides training each week across 12 professions: Carpentry, plastering, decoupage, palm leaf weaving and braiding, perfume making, bead making, brass arts, pottery, bisht embroidery, leather burnishing, gypsum arts, and artifact documentation and photography. The training sessions are led by Saudi experts. Aspiring craftspeople are encouraged to apply to the program through the DGDA website. They will be trained in each of their chosen trades for a week across multiple in-person workshops. The program comes as part of the authority’s goal to engage with the Diriyah community and promote culture and heritage. The DGDA has committed to involving residents in events and activities in order to bring valuable contributions to the area’s construction and redevelopment. “Traditional handicraft practices can help give voice to a nation’s culture and the stories of its people,” said a statement by the DGDA. The program also aims to preserve Saudi Arabia’s heritage by highlighting its wealth of handicraft knowledge and preserving it for future generations. The Handicraft School is one of several DGDA programs that aims to foster a supportive, growth-oriented environment within Diriyah. “Ultimately, reconnecting the people of Diriyah with their ancestors’ practices also gives them the ability to showcase their national heritage to visitors, tourists and enthusiasts of older, simpler times from around the world,” the statement added.