Northern Borders women turn traditional skills into thriving businesses

In the Northern Borders region of Saudi Arabia, women are leveraging their traditional culinary and craft skills to establish thriving businesses, safeguarding heritage while enhancing their economic opportunities. Over the past few years, this region has seen a surge in women-led crafts, culinary ventures, and local product enterprises.

Once relegated to domestic chores, these skills have been repurposed for commercial purposes, with products now available at sales outlets, seasonal markets, and events—bridging economic empowerment with the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage for future generations.

The product range among women in the region is diverse, encompassing traditional dishes, handicrafts, perfumes and incense, candle-making, pottery painting, and spice blending. These offerings skillfully blend local heritage with contemporary market demands, showcasing the artisans' creativity and expertise. Seasonal events and markets across the Northern Borders cities and towns serve as crucial sales channels for female artisans and cooks, enabling them to exhibit their products to a wide array of visitors.

These platforms not only highlight the region's traditional foods and crafts but also introduce innovative items inspired by the local environment, thereby expanding the customer base and refining product presentation, packaging, and marketing strategies.

Empowerment remains a significant aspect of women's entrepreneurial endeavors in the Northern Borders. The Social Development Bank provides continuous support through its development programs and financial products, enabling skilled individuals and small business owners to scale their activities into sustainable enterprises. This support fosters a culture of entrepreneurship and productivity, broadening economic opportunities for the community.

Traditional dishes, a cornerstone of the region's cultural and social identity, are preserved and adapted by female cooks, who maintain authentic flavors and local character while adjusting preparation and presentation methods to meet market demands. Spice and seasoning blends, crafted by women drawing from inherited expertise, have also become popular home-based products, benefiting from enhanced packaging and marketing to reach a wider audience.

Women's ventures have further diversified into perfume, incense, and aromatic products, which have gained traction as small businesses. Events and sales outlets have played a pivotal role in promoting and developing these products. Female artisans have adeptly maintained traditional skills tied to community life and the local environment, reimagining them in products that seamlessly blend heritage with contemporary usage.

These artisans excel in candle-making and pottery painting, employing colors, patterns, and artistic designs to create pieces that cater to modern needs. Chef Munifah Al-Anazi shared that participating in events expanded her access to a broader customer base, allowing her to introduce traditional dishes beyond a limited clientele.

She observed that the enduring popularity of heritage foods indicates the community's appreciation for culinary traditions.

Perfume and incense maker Haya Al-Hazani expressed how this field allowed her to transform her passion for fragrances into marketable products. She further noted that her participation in events enhanced her understanding of customer preferences and facilitated the development of her offerings accordingly. Another artisan emphasized that her craft serves as a means to preserve a social and cultural legacy passed down through generations.

She highlighted the growing demand for handmade products as a catalyst for artisans to focus on quality and variety, ensuring the sustainability and vibrancy of the region's local traditions.