Community Jameel, in partnership with The King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts (KFSTA), Art Jameel and the Nafisa Shams Academy, celebrated today the tenth anniversary of the Jameel House of Traditional Arts in Jeddah, a pioneering centre for reviving the teaching of traditional craft and design in Saudi Arabia, at a special event at Hayy Jameel.
Attended by distinguished guests, including alumni of the Jameel House in Jeddah, the event featured a display of works by graduates of the Jameel House programme and a panel discussion exploring the ever-growing role of traditional arts in Saudi Arabia.
A centre that nurtured a thriving community
Opened in 2015 in Al-Balad, in the heart of historic Jeddah, the Jameel House in Jeddah pioneered a revival of the teaching of the traditional arts in Saudi Arabia and fostered a community of artists, designers and craftspeople that today is thriving across the country.
Offering a one-year training programme developed and delivered by KFSTA, the Jameel House in Jeddah graduated more than 75 students over six years.
Alumni of the Jameel House in Jeddah have gone on to champion the traditional arts in Saudi Arabia as practising artists, designers and craftspeople, leading their own businesses, working with arts institutions or as tutors on KFSTA courses.
George Richards, director of Community Jameel, said: “The Jameel House in Jeddah was one of the first initiatives I was involved with at Community Jameel and will forever hold a special place in my heart.
“Seeing alumni of the Jameel House go on to nurture a thriving traditional arts scene in Saudi Arabia more than fulfils our hopes for the programme when we launched it a decade ago.”
In 2021, the one-year programme closed as Community Jameel and KFSTA unveiled new opportunities to support traditional artists in Saudi Arabia.
Today, KFSTA continues to deliver traditional arts courses in Saudi Arabia, including in AlUla and with The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, and Community Jameel has announced a new Jameel House scholarship to support Arab students – including graduates of the Jameel House in Jeddah – to attend international KFSTA courses.
A special year for the traditional arts
As well as the tenth anniversary of the Jameel House in Jeddah, 2025 has been designated the Year of Traditional Arts by Community Jameel and the Year of Handicrafts by the Ministry of Culture in Saudi Arabia.
Today’s event at Hayy Jameel, a dedicated arts complex and creative hub developed and managed by Art Jameel, featured artists, designers, architects and traditional arts practitioners from Saudi Arabia and beyond.
A panel discussion, moderated by Cléa Daridan, head of arts and culture at Community Jameel, featured four alumni of the Jameel House in Jeddah – Rana Alamoudi, Manar Kunid, Rana Tashkandi and Marwa Turkestani – who discussed the influence of the programme on their practices and careers.
Dr May Taibah, director of the Nafisa Shams Academy, a centre empowering women through technical and vocational training, including in traditional crafts, delivered welcoming remarks alongside George Richards, director of Community Jameel, and Maria Alem, head of learning at Hayy Jameel.
A network of centres for the traditional arts
The Jameel House in Jeddah is part of a network of Jameel Houses established by Community Jameel and The King’s Foundation worldwide.
Since 2009, the Jameel House of Traditional Arts in Cairo has helped to sustain the practice of traditional arts in Egypt through a two-year course delivered by KFSTA.
Today, more than 200 Egyptian artists and craftspeople have graduated from the programme.
In 2024, the third school – the Jameel House of World Traditional Arts in Scotland – was established as a new global centre for international artisans, craftspeople and students, situated in the grounds of Dumfries House, the 18th century stately home that is the headquarters of The King’s Foundation.
The announcement of the Jameel House in Scotland in October 2024 followed a visit to Dumfries House by His Majesty King Charles III, royal founding president of The King’s Foundation, Mohammed Jameel KBE, founder and chairman of Community Jameel, and Hassan Jameel, vice chairman of Community Jameel.