Threads of Hope & Madu Showcase Egyptian Crafts at Diriyah Biennale
Egyptian artisan collectives Threads of Hope (TOH) and Madu made their debut in Saudi Arabia this April as part of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation's cultural programme, introducing Saudi audiences to Egypt's rich traditions in embroidery, natural dyeing, and sustainable craftsmanship.
TOH led two hands-on masterclasses for visitors: an embroidery workshop at the Diriyah Foundation's Turuq: The Many Ways of Food symposium, and a natural dye workshop at the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah. Both events brought Egypt's artistic heritage into direct dialogue with regional culture, using craft to highlight shared values in Islamic art and design.
The embroidery sessions, which took place over three days, invited participants to create hand-embroidered placemats, integrating traditional motifs and techniques. Hosted as part of the four-day Turuq symposium, which explored Arab culinary rituals from dawn to dusk, the workshops connected the visual art of embroidery with the cultural ritual of dining.
In Jeddah, the natural dye workshop focused on the symbolism of fruits and plants in the Qur'an, using pomegranate skins, turmeric, and other natural materials to dye cloth pouches. The session was designed to quietly explore Islamic ideas of sacred nature while offering participants an accessible encounter with Egypt's textile traditions.
Founded in Cairo, Threads of Hope is a social enterprise that trains and employs refugee and migrant women in a range of artisanal techniques, including embroidery, crochet, ajour, hand painting, and patchwork. The organisation also offers psychological, medical, and social support. 'It's about dignity, visibility, and giving their work the platform it deserves,' TOH shared.
Their partner Madu, also based in Cairo, produces eco-conscious handmade products, many of which are crafted by TOH's artisans. At the Biennale, Madu presented a selection of sustainably made homewares and textiles, further positioning Egyptian craft within a contemporary regional design context.
According to TOH, participation in the Diriyah Biennale Foundation was 'a big moment' for both collectives. 'For Madu, it's a chance to introduce Egyptian craftsmanship to a regional design audience — and show that these products carry not just beauty, but story and meaning. For Threads of Hope, it's an opportunity to showcase the talent and skill of the refugee and migrant women producing at TOH.'
While the workshops marked TOH and Madu's first public engagement in Saudi Arabia, both collectives see this as the beginning of a larger journey—one that blends heritage and empowerment, tradition and contemporary relevance, as they work to expand their presence in the Kingdom and across the region.
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The third objective focused on enhancing urban and community awareness on heritage and climate change around the two sites, including initiatives to repurpose extracted groundwater for community benefit. The conservation work at the Yehia Al-Shabih dome included comprehensive documentation, the repair of structural foundations and cracks, masonry conservation and roof works, the drainage of groundwater, and the conservation of cenotaphs, marble columns, stucco prayer niches, and epigraphic wooden and marble elements. At the Safieddin Jawhar dome, the conservation works similarly encompassed documentation, structural foundation work, crack and masonry repair, and roof works. It also included the lowering of the groundwater, the conservation of decorative wood items, and the repair of stone and metal elements and carved stucco windows. This was in addition to harvesting the groundwater and reusing it for greening, urban farming, municipal cleaning, and firefighting. 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Fathy expressed his deep appreciation of the project's collaborative spirit, calling it 'a model of constructive partnership with supporting institutions.' He thanked the SCA, Megawra, the British Embassy in Cairo, and the British Council for their roles in delivering the project. He reiterated the government's full commitment to heritage preservation, emphasising the importance of balancing monument protection with strategies for sustainable cultural tourism. 'What has been achieved in this project reflects the care and dedication being invested in protecting our archaeological sites,' Fathy said. He announced that the restoration project will be featured on the ministry's newly launched e-training platform and that both domes will be added to the official visitor map of archaeological attractions in an effort to diversify Egypt's tourism offerings and promote lesser-known sites. Khaled asserted that the restoration had followed strict international standards. 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