Ithra’s Khoos Initiative keeps palm weaving alive for the future

Residency connects local artisans with international designers and artists

Date palm weaving at the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Ithra

For centuries, communities in Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahsa region have relied on palm weaving not just for practical purposes but as a cornerstone of cultural identity. The King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, also known as Ithra, in Dhahran is shining a spotlight on this enduring craft through the Khoos Initiative, a project dedicated to celebrating, preserving and reimagining palm weaving.

The initiative connects local artisans with international designers and artists, fostering collaboration while highlighting the ecological, social and creative dimensions of the date palm.

Palm weaving, or khoos, is one of the Gulf’s oldest crafts, in which dried palm fronds are intricately woven into baskets, mats and decorative objects. More than a practical skill, it embodies resilience, memory, and creativity, passed down through generations in Al Ahsa, the world’s largest date palm oasis and a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Ithra’s initiative shines a light on these living practitioners and brings their knowledge into conversation with global creatives. Noura Alzamil, Ithra’s head of programmes, says: “By connecting artisans, artists and designers across borders, we support traditional Saudi techniques, fostering sustainable and innovative approaches within the craft sector.”

The Khoos Initiative began with a residency from October 3 to 14, bringing together designers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, South Korea and Chile. Participants spent two weeks collaborating with palm weavers, exchanging knowledge and exploring new ways to incorporate traditional techniques into contemporary design.

The Khoos Initiative residency brought together artists and the palm weavers of Saudi Arabia's Al Ahsa date palm oasis. Photo: Ithra

The residency culminated in a short exhibition of the participants’ projects, which will continue to develop in the coming months. Ala’a Alqahtani, Khoos Initiative lead, says the initiative “bridges centuries of tradition with contemporary practice, presenting palm weaving as both a living heritage and a source of future innovation”.

Emirati artist and designer Azza Al Qubaisi has worked with palm materials since 2006, and the Khoos Initiative offered an opportunity to connect with the craft on a deeper level.

“Through my work and engagement, I felt that this programme is very vital for pushing forward, for changing the perspective towards the palm,” she says.

Al Qubaisi describes her early experiences on her family’s farm in Liwa, where she first developed a connection to the land and the date palm. “It felt like an extension, a connection to my past, to my ancestors, to the land itself,” she says.

Her interest in exploring palm weaving creatively also stems from practical challenges. Managing her family’s farm in 2002, she noticed shifts to how materials were handled due to changing regulations and the disconnection between traditional knowledge and modern practice. Visiting Al Ahsa and seeing local farmers still deeply connected to the palms reinforced her appreciation of the craft and its cultural depth.

Through the Khoos Initiative, Al Qubaisi explored innovative ways to use the palms, creating furniture, sculptures and wearable art while respecting traditional methods. “If I focus on addressing this and creating a nice product, then I can sell it instead of throw it away,” she explains. For her, the initiative also reaffirmed the value of sustainable use of natural materials.

The Khoos Initiative aims to highlight the cultural and ecological importance of palm weaving. Photo: Ithra

Bahraini designer and artist Mariam Alnoaimi was drawn to the residency by the intersection of people, land and culture. “We live in proximity to the palm tree, and it has always been part of our daily life, not only in the objects we use but also in shelter and architecture,” she says.

The residency offered her a chance to reconnect with traditional knowledge that had been eroded by industrialisation. “I was very much interested to look at ways and learn how we can bridge this gap, to relearn the knowledge embedded within the palm tree and the communities still practising these crafts,” she says.

Her project focused on exploring the palm tree as a source of ecological and cultural knowledge. Alnoaimi described it as planting seeds for research and creative exploration. “The knowledge embedded within the language, the practices, the culture, the ecology – my project sought to re-portray it in an installation that looks at this knowledge,” she says. She highlighted the importance of understanding the material and the craft to inform sustainable and culturally rooted design practices.

Alnoaimi also emphasised the holistic use of the palm. “It shows the sustainability inherent in craftsmanship. Every part of the palm tree has a purpose. The leaves, the fronds, the ropes, even the heart of the palm, which is edible – each element serves a function for the community,” she says. She cited the integration of palm materials in architecture, furniture and everyday life in Bahrain and the Gulf.

The Khoos Initiative also includes public programmes designed to engage broader audiences. Baseqat: The Palm Tree Exhibition runs until March 2026. It highlights the palm’s ecological and cultural legacy, while contemporary artists reinterpret traditional forms. The exhibition features works by Saudi and international creatives, including Fatimah Al Nemer, Sumaya Shelbi, Mohammed Amine Hamouda, and Mestiz. Central to the exhibition is Palms in Eternal Embrace, by Obaid Alsafi, a previous Ithra Art Prize winner.

Artists participating in the Khoos Initiative residency learned about the craft's history. Photo: Ithra

Workshops allow visitors to engage directly with the craft. As Ala’a Alqahtani notes, the initiative “connects artisans and communities in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province with global creatives and audiences”.

For Al Qubaisi, the Khoos Initiative has personal and cultural significance. “Understanding the technique, understanding the effort that goes into it, allows me to look at the craftswoman today in a totally new perspective. It allows me to have a new perspective as my generation, how I can give it back to my children and bring it back into our daily life,” she says.

Likewise, Alnoaimi hopes that audiences will gain appreciation for the ecological knowledge embedded in palm weaving. “The deep knowledge and ecological wisdom present through the palm tree and the environment is very rich and very deep,” she says. “It is important to really unravel and unfold all the layers and reconnect with this knowledge.”