One of the oldest and most prominent traditional crafts in Kuwait and the Arabian Peninsula, Al Sadu weaving has been an integral part of Bedouin nomadic life for thousands of years. It is not only an expressive art form that showcases the manual dexterity of the women who practice it, but also a symbol of Kuwaiti cultural identity.
Global recognition is significant for preserving and developing Al Sadu. It opens up opportunities to work with international designers and obtain access to funding and resources and ultimately will ensure the craft’s sustainability and growth in an increasingly interconnected world.
In 2020, traditional weaving of Al Sadu was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Two years later, the Al Sadu Society was granted ad hoc observer status by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The Society is a non-profit cooperative dedicated to preserving and promoting the traditional textile arts of Kuwait and related skills, and their status as a symbol of Kuwaiti cultural identity. In 2022, we were proud to be the first non-governmental organization (NGO) in Kuwait (and only the second in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council) to be accredited to provide advisory services to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
By harnessing the potential of Al Sadu weaving, the Society aims to inspire contemporary forms of design and creativity that, in turn, will stimulate cultural and economic development. Traditionally, women learn the craft from an early age by assisting their mothers in the spinning, dyeing and weaving of wool. Al Sadu pieces are made primarily for the family to furnish their tent homes.
The Society supports the production of traditional Al Sadu textiles. It also encourages weavers to produce contemporary textiles that will appeal to modern consumers. Such products include wall hangings, table runners, cushions and furniture coverings, as well as a range of everyday items such as document folders, bookmarks, bags, shoes and clothes.
Many of Kuwait’s expert weavers are now in their 80s and the Society is working with them to document their valuable knowledge and skills. That rich repertoire will inspire new weavers and textile artisans for generations to come.
Protecting Al Sadu crafts with intellectual property
Al Sadu collective mark
In 2022, the Society added a collective mark for Al Sadu to its growing portfolio of intellectual property (IP) assets. The mark safeguards the original techniques, qualities and materials of traditional Al Sadu weaving. The mark and the guidelines for its use will help new generations of weavers to adhere to the craft’s traditional methods, colors and patterns.
The collective mark will protect the work of a new generation of Al Sadu weavers and help them to showcase it in international craft competitions and fairs as an official indigenous craft of Kuwait.
Using the collective mark in partnership
In June 2022, the Society expanded its activities and used the collective mark in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to train refugee women in Egypt in Al Sadu weaving techniques.
In addition to providing those women with opportunities to make a living, thereby fostering their economic empowerment and community integration, the program was also aimed at further safeguarding the craft and related know-how through respect for the Society’s IP rights, and at promoting sustainable development. The women are free to produce items for the Society and to take commissioned work courtesy of UNHCR partner MADE51.
How the Al Sadu Society uses copyright in its work
The Society researches and documents knowledge, expertise and techniques relating to the craft and has published a number of publications on the topic. They include Al Sadu: the Techniques of Bedouin Weaving, by Anne-Rhona Crichton (1989), From Desert to Town: Traditional Weaving of Kuwait, by John Gillow (2009), and Kuwait Traditions: Creative Expressions of a Culture (2001) and Ibjad: Ornate Tent Dividers and Weavings of the Kuwait Desert (2006), by Altaf Al Sabah.
In publishing those works, the Society is safeguarding and preserving the craft and Kuwait’s rich textile heritage for future generations.
Inaugurated in 2023 and comprising 190,000 colored bricks, Al Sadu Street in Kuwait City was built to honor the craft of Al Sadu. Uniting tradition with contemporary design, the street draws inspiration from vibrant Al Sadu motifs, specifically the familiar “Shajarah pattern”. The distinctive design on the street is registered with the National Library of Kuwait and protected by copyright.
Under its Insij program, the Society offers courses to those interested in learning traditional Al Sadu weaving methods. The aim is to transfer knowledge of the craft and the related skills to future generations. Practical workshops and guidance help Kuwait’s new textile artists and Al Sadu weavers to hone their skills.
The five-level program is built around the deep expertise, techniques and knowledge of Al Sadu master weavers. As well as the program itself, the Society’s instructional manuals, content and curriculum are protected by copyright. That includes diagrams, photographs and video clips on traditional weaving techniques. The Insij course has been licensed and exported to several countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Educational initiatives
The Society, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education in Kuwait, also offers an Art of Weaving training course. Since 2018, the course has been part of the curriculum of the Arts Education Department. Intensive courses are offered free of charge under the Department’s “train the trainers” program in each of the country’s seven educational districts. The curriculum and teaching materials, including training videos, were developed by the Society.
Through those courses, Al Sadu weaving know-how has been shared with public schools, enriching the education of pupils across Kuwait.
The curriculum and media generated for that joint effort are copyright protected. In 2022, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage included the “train the trainers in the art of weaving” program in its Register for Good Safeguarding Practices.
Future prospects
The Society has garnered international recognition for its work and that in turn has revived interest in the craft and provided a platform for its transmission to future generations.
The Society’s mission is to celebrate Kuwait’s textile heritage and foster cultural identity, and Al Sadu weaving remains a testament to the resilience of tradition in an ever-changing world.
