The Mansoojat Foundation
Every garment carries a story. We make sure it is not forgotten.
The Mansoojat Foundation protects the traditional textiles and costumes of Saudi Arabia – capturing the skills, identities, and histories woven into each piece, and passing this living heritage on to future generations.
About Us
Origins and Founding
Founded in 2002, The Mansoojat Foundation is dedicated to documenting, conserving, and celebrating the rich textile and costume traditions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its mission responds to an urgent need: the preservation of regional and tribal dress practices that were rapidly disappearing under the pressures of modernisation and globalisation.
Established by a group of passionate cultural advocates, the Foundation set out to safeguard these fragile traditions through careful research, collecting, and documentation. The name Mansoojat—derived from the Arabic word for “textiles” or “woven materials”—reflects the organisation’s core focus on clothing as a vital expression of identity, memory, and place.
What we do
Since its founding, The Mansoojat Foundation has developed a wide-ranging programme to protect and promote Saudi Arabia’s textile heritage through research, preservation, and public engagement.
Research and Collections
Through extensive fieldwork across the Kingdom—including the Asir, Hejaz, Najd, and Eastern Province—the Foundation has built a significant collection of traditional garments, accessories, and textiles. Each object is carefully documented to preserve its material, cultural context, and techniques.
Exhibitions and Publications
Mansoojat curates and contributes to exhibitions in Saudi Arabia and internationally, showcasing regional embroidery, weaving traditions, and distinctive design languages. This work is supported by authoritative books and catalogues that serve as key resources for researchers, curators, educators, and collectors.
Education and Partnerships
Workshops and educational programmes play a central role in passing traditional skills to younger generations, supporting cultural continuity and pride. The Foundation works closely with museums, universities, and cultural institutions in Saudi Arabia and abroad to extend the reach of its collection and foster international dialogue around Saudi textile heritage.
Impact and legacy
Over more than two decades, The Mansoojat Foundation has played a pivotal role in safeguarding Saudi Arabia’s textile traditions. By collecting, conserving, and sharing these garments, the Foundation has ensured that invaluable cultural knowledge is not lost.
Its work has also helped stimulate renewed interest in traditional dress—both within the Kingdom and internationally – highlighting textiles not as relics of the past, but as dynamic expressions of identity and creativity. Through exhibitions, publications, and education, Mansoojat continues to inspire new generations to value and sustain the traditions of their ancestors.
Looking Ahead
The Mansoojat Foundation is committed to building on this legacy. Future priorities include expanding the collection, strengthening education and public engagement, and increasing global access to its resources.
Key ambitions include the creation of a dedicated museum to house and interpret the collection, alongside the development of digital archives that will make Mansoojat’s holdings accessible to researchers, practitioners, and the wider public worldwide.
By preserving and promoting Saudi Arabia’s textile heritage, The Mansoojat Foundation ensures that this essential cultural legacy remains visible, valued, and alive for generations to come.
Our Mission
Our Objectives
Latest News
Explore & Discover
Jeddah Economic Forum Jeddah International Conference and Exhibition Center, Saudi Arabia February 2008
In February 2008, The Mansoojat Foundation participated in the Jeddah Economic Forum at the Jeddah International Conference and Exhibition Center. Within the setting of this major international forum, The Mansoojat Foundation presented traditional Saudi costume and textile heritage to delegates and global visitors. The display highlighted regional craftsmanship, embroidery traditions[...]
Recent Articles
Explore & Discover
Asir velvet thobe
Asir, Southern Region Asir velvet thobe with front embroidered panels which recall the motifs of the hand painted decorations on the interiors of the traditional Asir homes. Asir, like the highlands of southern Hijaz, is traditionally a region of settled tribespeople. Peaks rise to 3,000 metres, and terraced farming is fed by both winter and summer rains. Buildings are tall,[...]
Asir floral printed thobe
Asir, Southern Region Asir, like the highlands of southern Hijaz, is traditionally a region of settled tribespeople. Peaks rise to 3,000 metres, and terraced farming is fed by both winter and summer rains. Buildings are tall, of both stone and mud. In Asir sarongs are worn beneath dresses, to conceal and protect their pantaloons while the women work in the[...]
Al Baha man’s bidi aba
Al Baha, Southern Region The highland plateau atop the mountain escarpment is green and fertile. It is a land of terraced farms, juniper forests and rural buildings of both stone and mud. In these southern regions the tailoring was done by men. Al Baha man's bidi aba (cloak) made of white goat's wool and embroidered along the front and on[...]