Coinciding with the honorary lecture delivered by HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman of the Board of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, on May 15, 2026, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization launched the “ALECSO Chair for Arab-Islamic Crafts”. This qualitative initiative aims at promoting and preserving the heritage of Arab-Islamic crafts in terms of research, documentation, training, and contemporary creativity.
The establishment of this scientific and cultural Chair is the fruit of ongoing cooperation between ALECSO and the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. It will serve as a leading Arab platform dedicated to studying Arab-Islamic crafts, documenting their tangible and intangible heritage, and highlighting their aesthetic, intellectual, and social dimensions; thereby contributing to safeguarding this civilizational heritage while strengthening its presence in contemporary cultural and economic life.
The Chair aims to develop a comprehensive scientific vision of Arab-Islamic crafts as an authentic component of Arab-Islamic civilization and a fundamental source of aesthetic identity in Arab culture. This objective will be pursued through supporting specialized academic research, encouraging research and scientific publishing, organizing seminars and training programs, and linking traditional crafts with modern design and creative industries.
The Chair also seeks to establish a specialized knowledge database incorporating digital and field documentation of traditional crafts and industries, transforming them from endangered heritage into a dynamic field of creativity, innovation, and cultural development. In addition, it aims to strengthen partnerships with cultural institutions, heritage centers, and Arab universities.
ALECSO affirmed that the launch of this Chair forms part of its broader vision to valorize Arab-Islamic heritage and present it to future generations in a contemporary spirit; thereby reinforcing the status of Arab-Islamic crafts as a living record of skill, mastery, and human creativity throughout history.
On this occasion, the Director-General of ALECSO presented the “Encyclopedia of Arab-Islamic Art” to HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal in recognition and appreciation of the significant efforts undertaken by the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies under his patronage.
