Al-Sadu

Al-Sadu is a traditional Bedouin weaving technique that transforms raw wool into striking geometric textiles, each motif echoing stories of desert life, kinship, and ancestral wisdom. Practiced for generations across the Arabian Peninsula, this craft has long adorned tents, camel trappings, and ceremonial gatherings, preserving a visual language unique to nomadic culture.

The process begins with hand-spun yarn sourced from sheep, goats, or camels, dyed using natural pigments, then woven on horizontal ground looms. The vibrant palette of reds, blacks, and whites carries symbolic meaning, with each repeated pattern representing themes such as water, shelter, and unity. The rhythm of weaving is both methodical and expressive, relying on memory, precision, and an intimate knowledge of tribal iconography.

Today, Al-Sadu experiences offer guests a hands-on encounter with one of Saudi Arabia’s most emblematic crafts. Participants engage with heritage through texture and technique, discovering how each woven strip is both art and archive. These workshops remain sought-after features at cultural festivals and heritage activations, offering a tactile journey into the Kingdom’s timeless design traditions.