RIYADH: In Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region, the traditional craft of Al-Naddafa continues to preserve the community’s heritage, with artisans transforming wool and cotton into bedding and quilts that reflect generations of skill.
Craftsman Nidal Al-Obaid told the Saudi Press Agency that the “naddaf” is an artisan who cleans, softens, and reshapes wool and cotton using traditional tools.
The artisan then turns the materials into mattresses, quilts, and pillows, a craft that once provided comfort to locals across the region before industrial, modern alternatives arrived.
Despite the availability of ready-made products, Al-Naddafa is still practiced by locals in Arar and the surrounding governorates, SPA reported.
The region’s pastoral landscape and abundance of sheep have long ensured a steady supply of wool, sustaining the craft and embedding it in the fabric of local life.
