Official government website of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 
On Wednesday, December 24, 2025, the university concluded the "Handicrafts in the Era of Digital Transformation: Opportunities and Challenges" conference, which was held by the College of Arts and Designs over two days under the patronage of the university president, Prof. Dr. Mohammed bin Fahad Al-Sharekh, amid the presence and wide participation of experts, specialists, researchers, institutions, associations and craftsmen at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in the university city.
In the first session, the conference addressed the importance of comprehensive empowerment of artisans, moving from traditional support to an integrated development system that includes training, development, innovation, and entrepreneurship, while reviewing quality initiatives such as the House of Artisans, "Abdaa" platform and interactive exhibitions, to ensure the sustainability of handicrafts as a long-term cultural and economic investment. In the second session, the conference focused on the role of digital marketing and business incubators in empowering artisans and building sustainable businesses, while enhancing their awareness of intellectual property rights and transforming traditional aesthetic values into contemporary designs that support national visual identity and open horizons for new opportunities for craftsmen.
The third session dealt with digital transformation and artificial intelligence as tools to develop the quality and production of handicrafts, by integrating digital design in the fields of sustainable fashion, producing innovative products that combine originality and modernity, rationalizing resources, and raising the competitiveness of the national sector, while the fourth session reviewed the potential of artificial intelligence in documenting and transferring traditional skills, and inspiring heritage motifs and arts to produce contemporary digital designs, in order to enhance national identity, support the creative economy, and keep pace with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 in innovation and digital transformation, while maintaining the essence of handicrafts.
The conference program also included several workshops that discussed the role of modern technologies and artificial intelligence in developing Saudi crafts, the importance of protecting intellectual property for craft products, and promoting sustainable patterns in the age of technology, with the participation of a group of experts and specialists.
The conference included an accompanying exhibition with the participation of a number of bodies, institutions, NGOs, specialized companies, and a number of craftsmen with their experiences and handmade products, in addition to the craft and artistic products of the College of Arts and Designs, to highlight the efforts of these entities in supporting handicrafts and the services they provide, and to highlight initiatives and practices that contribute to the development and sustainability of the handicrafts sector.
