المعهد الملكي للفنون التقليدية

Hasawi Bisht Making

A time-honoured craft of Al-Ahsa built on fine tailoring and hand embroidery in zari thread, producing a bisht that joins quality of making with beauty of detail and reflects the authenticity of Saudi heritage.

Textile Crafts

About Hasawi Bisht Making

Hasawi bisht making is one of the long-established traditional crafts of Al-Ahsa, known for the precision of its making, the quality of its materials and the beauty of its embroidery. Craftsmen rely on inherited skills that join fine tailoring with hand embroidery — from preparing the cloth and choosing the thread to adding the zari and the ornamental details that give the bisht its distinctive look.

The Hasawi bisht holds a special place in Saudi culture. Tied to celebrations, feasts and formal gatherings, it has become a symbol of elegance, heritage and authenticity, and its making reflects the depth of the handicraft the people of Al-Ahsa have preserved across generations.

How it is made

  1. Step 1: Preparing the cloth

  2. Step 2: Drawing the design with the marking pen

  3. Step 3: Threading the right needle

  4. Step 4: Embroidering the patterns and ornament

  5. Step 5: Inspecting and finishing the piece

Tools

  • Wooden frame
  • Needle (mibar)
  • Loom

Raw materials

  • Cotton thread
  • Imported cloth
  • Goat hair
  • Camel hair
  • Natural wool
  • Natural silk

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