Chairman of Asharqia Chamber’s Board of Directors, Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Farraj, affirmed that the crafts and handicrafts sector is no longer merely a hobby, but has become an investment and an economic and social nucleus that strengthens national identity and is passed down through the generations, under the empowerment of the wise leadership, forming one of the pillars of “Vision 2030” for preserving national heritage and enhancing economic returns.
Al-Farraj explained that the Crafts and Handicrafts Exhibition 2026, held under the generous patronage of His Highness the Governor of the Eastern Province from September 1 to 4 of this year at Dhahran Expo, seeks to root national heritage and enable artisans and productive families to face marketing challenges, as an extension of a series of successes spanning 8 previous editions that attracted more than 2,590 participants from among craft and handicraft owners, productive families, and small traders, so that the upcoming edition offers an organizational environment that helps the local economy grow.
He stressed that the exhibition also aims to be a knowledge platform through which success stories are shared and partnerships are built, to consolidate the Eastern Province’s position as a main hub for the creative and craft economy in the Kingdom, and to empower this sector to become a fundamental tributary, turning its projects from micro enterprises into promising small and medium enterprises.
Al-Farraj pointed to the efforts made by the Chamber, represented by its Social Responsibility Center, in seeking excellence in the fields of social responsibility within the Eastern Province’s business sector, and the programs offered to the various segments of society, from individuals to non-profit sector institutions, to achieve the wise leadership’s aspirations under Saudi Vision 2030 of raising the sector’s contribution to GDP, empowering members of society, and spreading the culture of development projects and entrepreneurship to increase the individual’s effectiveness in contributing to national development.