14 photos that show how diverse Saudi Arabian fashion is

This collection of historical jewellery shows the many looks, international influences and materials of the accessories women wore on the Arabian Peninsula in the 20th century

The exhibition Hidden Treasures is on at D3 until April 13. The Saudi jewellery exhibition features multiple busts showing early 20th-century style from the Arabian Peninsula. This is the kind of headpiece traditionally worn in the central region in Najd. Leslie Pableo / The National

This turban is from the south region of Najran near the Yemen border. It's a long piece of wool woven around the head with coral stones as decoration. Younger women wore much more colourful adornments on their turbans, and as they grew older they would take rings out of it. Leslie Pableo / The National

This brooch is one of the newest pieces in the exhibition - it was made for King Khalid's wife. It features the national emblem of KSA inside it, with crossed swords and a palm tree. It's from the mid-1970s and is crafted from diamonds and malachite. Leslie Pableo / The National

This is bridal jewellery, which is locally known as 'rush rush', as that's the sound it creates when worn. This piece would have been made for royalty because it is fully made of gold, pearls and gemstones. Such bridal jewellery is less common today, and would always have to be bespoke. Leslie Pableo / The National

An ornate headpiece like this would have been worn by a wealthy person, or a member of the royal family: but simpler headpieces in silver, with less ornate designs, were worn by the less wealthy, too. Leslie Pableo / The National

A very traditional and ornate jewellery ensemble: elaborate examples such as this historical piece often included chain tassels ending in bells or coins to create a sound. Leslie Pableo / The National

A view of some of the pieces in the collection - the piece at the end is a bridal look. Leslie Pableo / The National

Most of the pieces are from before the Kingdom was founded in 1932: there are influences on show from Egypt, the Horn of Africa, and from Phoenician, Scypthian, Mesopotamian and Persian cultures. Leslie Pableo / The National

A headpiece, necklace, bangles and waist belt: pendant necklace boxes traditionally carried Holy Quranic verses and were seen to protect the wearer from harm. Leslie Pableo / The National

Silver jewellery, without gemstones, is the most common - but the style of decoration and detail is very varied. Leslie Pableo / The National

A collection of the looks. Leslie Pableo / The National

Headpieces were secured to the head by stringing hair through it, or with a ribbon. Leslie Pableo / The National

This gold and pearl long necklace is strongly reminiscent of the looks popular on the Indian Subcontinent: they are popularly called the Rani Haar, or Queen's Necklace. This piece is particularly high-end. Leslie Pableo / The National

The heavy piece at the end of this picture is definitely one of the highlights. Leslie Pableo / The National

Nyree McFarlane

A new exhibition at Dubai Design District showcases the diversity of regional jewellery and accessories from across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Hidden Treasures: Jewellery from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on show as part of the L'Ecole Van Cleef & Arpels until April 13, and the two-level exhibition showcases a variety of pieces from a period of about 100 years.

In many ways, the exhibition highlights the styles of the entire Arabian Peninsula, explains curator Pramod Kumar KG. "The modern day borders of the Arab world are new, and so this exhibition really shows the jewellery art of the Jazeera al Arabiya [the Arabian Peninsula].

Scroll through the gallery above to learn more about which specific regions the looks come from.

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"We went to all of the different regions of the Kingdom, and we've taken headpieces, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, waist belts," he adds. "And the moment you go upstairs, you see how they might have been worn as a set. So that allows people to see how these jewels were worn by actual people."

Some of the pieces on show would have been worn by the 'middle class', while others are clearly from royalty. "We wanted to show that the same designs were worn by different communities," Kumar explains, "but the choice of material would be different. So, if a commoner would use lower grade silver, the royal would probably use gold, but the design details would more or less remain the same.

"There's also a difference in the jewellery worn in urban areas, and that worn in rural areas. This exhibition shows you all aspects of bedouin jewellery: that worn by traders, merchants and the nomadic people."

Bangles and anklets on display at the Hidden Treasures exhibition. Leslie Pableo / The National

In regards to royalty, there is also a small group of diamond pieces from the collection of King Abdul Aziz 'Ibn Saud', the founder of Saudi Arabia, who ruled from 1932 to 1953. These rings, earrings and brooches were all worn by his immediate family.

Updated: April 03, 2019, 7:18 AM