{"article":{"annotation":{"article_id":"qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads","available_at":"2026-10-25T01:05:56.849018Z","geography_revision":"ef6ee0010dda5fe7b240fd514749b43e214c57da73222d2e40ec83b276dd0977","id":"97b18ca114dea5cf83c8895d1a125138e6fc9b766f006bf21886a0083445dbf6","input_sha256":"6edc09fe96dde24c0c8490d78d9a2d3de7edb56ceb8708479b1b51298b17e6fc","limitations":["Rule-derived subjects are candidates, not verified editorial labels or calibrated model probabilities.","Coverage is distinct from event location. Unknown country/city/coordinates remain absent; no automatic geocoding.","Article geometries keep their stated precision and methodology; reproducing them is not independent coordinate verification."],"method":"controlled-rules-v1","places":[{"admin1":null,"city":null,"coordinate_note":null,"coordinate_reference_system":"OGC:CRS84","coordinate_source":null,"country":"SA","evidence":[{"field":"country","language":"en","note":"Explicit preserved editorial country/region; no city or national centroid inferred","source_urls":["https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2709183","https://ncpd.gov.sa/en/news/32"]}],"geometry":null,"id":"iso3166-1:SA","kind":"country-or-area","labels":{"ar":"المملكة العربية السعودية","en":"Saudi Arabia","es":"Arabia Saudita","fr":"Arabie saoudite"},"match_status":"candidate","precision":"regional","role":"coverage","uncertainty_m":null}],"rules_sha256":"fb5ad3c27c91cb840f7a0a05f7f64a5cb26ad0374409ff9457f277c7092e22b4","schema_version":1,"subjects":[{"concept_id":"medtop:20000210","confidence":null,"confidence_method":null,"evidence":[{"field":"category+topics","language":"en","note":"Preserved editorial category/topic; broad candidate only","source_urls":["https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2709183","https://ncpd.gov.sa/en/news/32"]}],"method":"controlled-rules-v1","rule_id":"agriculture-broad","status":"candidate"}],"taxonomy_revision":"1f2db31d811fca07e99b16d402c10e2cc2965c9df1c7b41d9be348b40a24e7fb","taxonomy_version":"IPTC Media Topics 2026-Q2"},"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads?lang=en","category":"agriculture","content":{"key_points":[],"paragraphs":["Artisans in Saudi Arabia’s Qassim region are turning discarded date pits into handcrafted prayer beads, the Saudi Press Agency reported on October 24, 2026. The report describes the work as a way to use an agricultural by-product in a consumer craft, but does not quantify the amount of material recovered or the number of artisans involved.","The process begins with selecting date pits of similar size. Artisans clean and dry them, drill holes for threading, smooth rough surfaces and polish the beads before stringing and packaging them. The report says the work combines manual finishing with some semi-automated tools for drilling and cutting.","Noura Al-Harbi, identified by SPA as an artisan, said that each seed differs in texture and shape. The finished beads therefore retain natural variations rather than becoming identical pieces. Regional decorative motifs can be added during assembly, according to the report.","The item links the craft to Qassim’s date production and notes that artisans see potential in cultural tourism, corporate gifts and keepsakes. Those are described as possible markets, not as established sales channels. The report provides no prices, production volumes, revenues, employment totals or evidence of customer demand.","The reuse also has a circular-economy dimension: a discarded seed becomes the raw material for a different product. SPA says producers may use machinery for some cutting and drilling while keeping finishing manual. It does not report how much waste this process diverts, how its environmental footprint compares with alternatives or whether the method has been scaled beyond individual artisans.","The example shows one route for adding craft value to date-sector by-products, while the available account remains qualitative. Any claim about commercial scale or waste reduction would require measurements that the report does not provide. The source documents the process and the artisan’s view of possible uses, not a verified industry trend or established market size.","The craft sits within a much larger Saudi date economy, but national production figures should not be mistaken for the scale of this workshop practice. The National Center for Palms and Dates reports that production exceeded 1.9 million tonnes in 2024 and that date exports reached SAR1.695 billion, up 15.9% in value from 2023 and serving 133 countries. The centre says export value rose 192.5% between 2016 and 2024. These are national, historical figures; they do not show how many pits the artisans reuse or what share of production becomes beads.","The centre's figures describe the sector's national scale, not this craft's measured output."],"sections":[]},"corrections":[],"country":"SA","data":{"blocks":[{"description":{"ar":"مراحل الحرفة الواردة في تقرير القصيم.","de":"Im Bericht aus Qassim beschriebene Arbeitsschritte.","en":"Craft stages described in the Qassim report.","es":"Etapas del oficio descritas en el reportaje de Qassim.","fr":"Étapes artisanales décrites dans le reportage d’Al-Qassim.","pt":"Etapas do ofício descritas na reportagem de Qassim.","tr":"Kasım’daki haberde anlatılan zanaat aşamaları."},"id":"date-pit-craft-process","items":[{"date":"2026-10-24","description":{"ar":"تُفرز النوى وتُنظف وتُجفف، ثم تُثقب وتُصقل وتُلمع وتُجمع في خيط.","de":"Die Kerne werden ausgewählt, gereinigt, getrocknet, gebohrt, geschliffen, poliert und aufgefädelt.","en":"Kernels are selected, cleaned and dried, drilled, sanded, polished and strung.","es":"Los huesos se seleccionan, limpian y secan, se perforan, lijan, pulen y ensartan.","fr":"Les noyaux sont triés, nettoyés, séchés, percés, poncés, polis puis enfilés.","pt":"Os caroços são selecionados, limpos e secos, perfurados, lixados, polidos e enfiados.","tr":"Çekirdekler seçiliyor, temizlenip kurutuluyor, delinip zımparalanıyor, parlatılıyor ve diziliyor."},"label":{"ar":"حبات مسباح مصنوعة يدوياً من نوى التمر","de":"Handgefertigte Gebetsperlen aus Dattelkernen","en":"Handmade prayer beads from date pits","es":"Cuentas de oración artesanales con huesos de dátil","fr":"Chapelet artisanal en noyaux de dattes","pt":"Contas de oração artesanais feitas de caroços de tâmara","tr":"Hurma çekirdeğinden el yapımı tespih taneleri"},"status":"occurred"}],"methodology":{"ar":"يصف التقرير عملية نوعية؛ ولا يقدم حجماً للإنتاج أو أثراً بيئياً مقاساً.","de":"Der Bericht beschreibt einen qualitativen Ablauf; Produktionsumfang und gemessene Umweltwirkung fehlen.","en":"The report describes a qualitative process; it gives no production scale or measured environmental effect.","es":"El reportaje describe un proceso cualitativo; no aporta escala productiva ni efecto ambiental medido.","fr":"Le reportage décrit un procédé qualitatif; il ne chiffre ni le volume produit ni l’effet environnemental.","pt":"A reportagem descreve um processo qualitativo; não informa escala de produção nem impacto ambiental medido.","tr":"Haber nitel bir süreç anlatıyor; üretim ölçeği veya ölçülmüş çevresel etki vermiyor."},"sourceUrls":["https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2709183","https://ncpd.gov.sa/en/news/32"],"title":{"ar":"عملية إنتاج مسابح من نوى التمر","de":"Herstellung von Gebetsperlen aus Dattelkernen","en":"Date-pit prayer-bead production process","es":"Proceso de fabricación de cuentas con huesos de dátil","fr":"Fabrication de chapelets en noyaux de dattes","pt":"Processo de produção de contas com caroços de tâmara","tr":"Hurma çekirdeği tespih üretim süreci"},"type":"events","updatedAt":"2026-10-25T00:39:00Z"},{"description":{"ar":"تعرض الأرقام الوطنية سياق القطاع؛ وقد ورد أن الإنتاج تجاوز 1.9 مليون طن.","de":"Die nationalen Angaben beschreiben den Sektorkontext; die Produktion lag laut Mitteilung über 1,9 Millionen Tonnen.","en":"National figures describe sector context; production is reported as exceeding 1.9 million tonnes.","es":"Las cifras nacionales describen el contexto sectorial; se informa de una producción superior a 1,9 millones de toneladas.","fr":"Les données nationales décrivent le contexte du secteur ; la production est annoncée au-dessus de 1,9 million de tonnes.","pt":"Os números nacionais descrevem o contexto do setor; a produção foi indicada como superior a 1,9 milhão de toneladas.","tr":"Ulusal veriler sektör bağlamını verir; üretimin 1,9 milyon tonu aştığı bildiriliyor."},"id":"saudi-date-sector-2024-context","items":[{"basis":"observed","label":{"ar":"إنتاج التمور (أكثر من، مليون طن)","de":"Dattelproduktion (mehr als, Millionen Tonnen)","en":"Date production (more than, million tonnes)","es":"Producción de dátiles (más de, millones de toneladas)","fr":"Production de dattes (plus de, millions de tonnes)","pt":"Produção de tâmaras (mais de, milhões de toneladas)","tr":"Hurma üretimi (üzerinde, milyon ton)"},"measure":{"aggregation":"flow","frequency":"annual","geography":"saudi-arabia","id":"saudi-dates-production","periodRole":"reference-period","unitCode":"million-tonnes"},"period":"2024","unit":"million tonnes","value":1.9},{"basis":"observed","label":{"ar":"قيمة صادرات التمور (مليون ريال)","de":"Exportwert von Datteln (Millionen SAR)","en":"Date export value (million SAR)","es":"Valor de las exportaciones de dátiles (millones de SAR)","fr":"Valeur des exportations de dattes (millions de SAR)","pt":"Valor das exportações de tâmaras (milhões de SAR)","tr":"Hurma ihracat değeri (milyon SAR)"},"measure":{"aggregation":"flow","frequency":"annual","geography":"saudi-arabia","id":"saudi-dates-exports","periodRole":"reference-period","unitCode":"million-sar"},"period":"2024","unit":"million SAR","value":1695},{"basis":"observed","label":{"ar":"دول وجهة الصادرات","de":"Zielländer der Ausfuhren","en":"Export destination countries","es":"Países de destino de las exportaciones","fr":"Pays de destination des exportations","pt":"Países de destino das exportações","tr":"İhracat yapılan ülkeler"},"measure":{"aggregation":"flow","frequency":"annual","geography":"saudi-arabia","id":"saudi-dates-destinations","periodRole":"reference-period","unitCode":"count"},"period":"2024","unit":"count","value":133},{"basis":"observed","label":{"ar":"نمو قيمة الصادرات مقارنة بـ2023 (%)","de":"Wachstum des Exportwerts gegenüber 2023 (%)","en":"Export value growth from 2023 (%)","es":"Crecimiento del valor exportado desde 2023 (%)","fr":"Croissance de la valeur des exportations depuis 2023 (%)","pt":"Crescimento do valor exportado desde 2023 (%)","tr":"2023’e göre ihracat değerindeki artış (%)"},"measure":{"aggregation":"flow","frequency":"annual","geography":"saudi-arabia","id":"saudi-dates-growth","periodRole":"reference-period","unitCode":"percent"},"period":"2024","unit":"%","value":15.9}],"methodology":{"ar":"تذكر صفحة المركز الوطني للنخيل والتمور الإنتاج الوطني لعام 2024 وقيمة الصادرات وعدد الدول ونمو قيمة الصادرات السنوي. رقم الإنتاج حد أدنى وليس إجمالياً دقيقاً؛ ولا تقيس المؤشرات نوى التمر التي يعيد الحرفيون استخدامها.","de":"Die Seite des Nationalen Zentrums für Palmen und Datteln nennt die nationale Produktion 2024, den Exportwert, die Zahl der Zielländer und das jährliche Wachstum des Exportwerts. Die Produktionsangabe ist eine Untergrenze, kein exakter Gesamtwert; die Kennzahlen erfassen nicht die von Kunsthandwerkern wiederverwendeten Kerne.","en":"The National Center for Palms and Dates page reports 2024 national production, export value, destination count and year-on-year export-value growth. Production is a lower-bound statement, not an exact total; the metrics do not measure date pits reused by artisans.","es":"La página del Centro Nacional de Palmeras y Dátiles informa de la producción nacional de 2024, el valor exportado, los países de destino y el crecimiento interanual de ese valor. La producción es un límite inferior, no un total exacto; las métricas no cuentan los huesos reutilizados por los artesanos.","fr":"La page du Centre national des palmiers et des dattes indique la production nationale de 2024, la valeur des exportations, le nombre de pays desservis et la croissance annuelle de cette valeur. La production est une borne inférieure, non un total exact ; ces mesures ne comptent pas les noyaux réutilisés par les artisans.","pt":"A página do Centro Nacional de Palmeiras e Tâmaras informa a produção nacional de 2024, o valor exportado, o número de países de destino e o crescimento anual desse valor. A produção é um limite inferior, não um total exato; as métricas não contam os caroços reutilizados pelos artesãos.","tr":"Ulusal Palmiye ve Hurma Merkezi sayfası 2024 üretimini, ihracat değerini, varış ülkesi sayısını ve ihracat değerindeki yıllık artışı bildiriyor. Üretim değeri kesin toplam değil alt sınırdır; ölçümler zanaatkârların yeniden kullandığı hurma çekirdeği miktarını göstermez."},"sourceUrls":["https://ncpd.gov.sa/en/news/32"],"title":{"ar":"إنتاج قطاع التمور السعودي وصادراته في 2024","de":"Saudi-arabische Dattelproduktion und Ausfuhren 2024","en":"Saudi date-sector output and exports in 2024","es":"Producción y exportaciones saudíes de dátiles en 2024","fr":"Production et exportations saoudiennes de dattes en 2024","pt":"Produção e exportações sauditas de tâmaras em 2024","tr":"2024 Suudi hurma sektörü üretimi ve ihracatı"},"type":"metrics","updatedAt":"2026-10-25T00:55:50Z"}],"version":1},"data_downloads":[{"formats":{"csv":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads/data/date-pit-craft-process?lang=en&format=csv","json":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads/data/date-pit-craft-process?lang=en&format=json"},"id":"date-pit-craft-process"},{"formats":{"csv":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads/data/saudi-date-sector-2024-context?lang=en&format=csv","json":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads/data/saudi-date-sector-2024-context?lang=en&format=json"},"id":"saudi-date-sector-2024-context"}],"data_types":["events","metrics"],"editorial_illustration":{"alt":"Conceptual illustration of fields, soil and irrigation data.","asset_id":"newsverum-v1-agriculture","avif_variants":[{"height":320,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-480.avif","width":480},{"height":480,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-720.avif","width":720},{"height":640,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-960.avif","width":960},{"height":800,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-1200.avif","width":1200},{"height":1024,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-1536.avif","width":1536}],"credit":"Newsverum","documentary":false,"height":1024,"kind":"symbolic-editorial-illustration","language":"en","scope":"topic","url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-1536.webp","variants":[{"height":320,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-480.webp","width":480},{"height":640,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-960.webp","width":960},{"height":1024,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-1536.webp","width":1536}],"width":1536},"event_id":"event-1990c623-d0c9-5977-b835-111df1ec95b1","event_period":"2026-10-24","event_period_basis":"event-or-reference-period","id":"qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads","image":null,"importance":0.6,"language":"en","modified_at":"2026-10-25T01:05:39+00:00","publication_basis":"publication-record","published_at":"2026-10-25T01:05:39+00:00","reading_minutes":3,"region":"world","section_illustration":{"alt":"Conceptual illustration of fields, soil and irrigation data.","asset_id":"newsverum-v1-agriculture","avif_variants":[{"height":320,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-480.avif","width":480},{"height":480,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-720.avif","width":720},{"height":640,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-960.avif","width":960},{"height":800,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-1200.avif","width":1200},{"height":1024,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-1536.avif","width":1536}],"credit":"Newsverum","documentary":false,"height":1024,"kind":"symbolic-editorial-illustration","language":"en","scope":"section","url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-1536.webp","variants":[{"height":320,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-480.webp","width":480},{"height":640,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-960.webp","width":960},{"height":1024,"url":"https://newsverum.com/assets/newsverum/illustrations/v1/agriculture-1536.webp","width":1536}],"width":1536},"slug":"qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads","sources":[{"checkedAt":"2026-10-25","name":"Saudi Press Agency","publishedAt":"2026-10-24","url":"https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2709183"},{"checkedAt":"2026-10-25","name":"National Center for Palms and Dates","url":"https://ncpd.gov.sa/en/news/32"}],"summary":"A Saudi Press Agency report describes a small craft using discarded date seeds; it gives no production or sales figures.","text":"A Saudi Press Agency report describes a small craft using discarded date seeds; it gives no production or sales figures.\n\nArtisans in Saudi Arabia’s Qassim region are turning discarded date pits into handcrafted prayer beads, the Saudi Press Agency reported on October 24, 2026. The report describes the work as a way to use an agricultural by-product in a consumer craft, but does not quantify the amount of material recovered or the number of artisans involved.\n\nThe process begins with selecting date pits of similar size. Artisans clean and dry them, drill holes for threading, smooth rough surfaces and polish the beads before stringing and packaging them. The report says the work combines manual finishing with some semi-automated tools for drilling and cutting.\n\nNoura Al-Harbi, identified by SPA as an artisan, said that each seed differs in texture and shape. The finished beads therefore retain natural variations rather than becoming identical pieces. Regional decorative motifs can be added during assembly, according to the report.\n\nThe item links the craft to Qassim’s date production and notes that artisans see potential in cultural tourism, corporate gifts and keepsakes. Those are described as possible markets, not as established sales channels. The report provides no prices, production volumes, revenues, employment totals or evidence of customer demand.\n\nThe reuse also has a circular-economy dimension: a discarded seed becomes the raw material for a different product. SPA says producers may use machinery for some cutting and drilling while keeping finishing manual. It does not report how much waste this process diverts, how its environmental footprint compares with alternatives or whether the method has been scaled beyond individual artisans.\n\nThe example shows one route for adding craft value to date-sector by-products, while the available account remains qualitative. Any claim about commercial scale or waste reduction would require measurements that the report does not provide. The source documents the process and the artisan’s view of possible uses, not a verified industry trend or established market size.\n\nThe craft sits within a much larger Saudi date economy, but national production figures should not be mistaken for the scale of this workshop practice. The National Center for Palms and Dates reports that production exceeded 1.9 million tonnes in 2024 and that date exports reached SAR1.695 billion, up 15.9% in value from 2023 and serving 133 countries. The centre says export value rose 192.5% between 2016 and 2024. These are national, historical figures; they do not show how many pits the artisans reuse or what share of production becomes beads.\n\nThe centre's figures describe the sector's national scale, not this craft's measured output.","title":"Qassim artisans turn date pits into prayer beads","topics":[],"translations":[{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads?lang=tr","language":"tr","url":"https://newsverum.com/tr/news/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads"},{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads?lang=en","language":"en","url":"https://newsverum.com/en/news/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads"},{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads?lang=ar","language":"ar","url":"https://newsverum.com/ar/news/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads"},{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads?lang=fr","language":"fr","url":"https://newsverum.com/fr/news/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads"},{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads?lang=es","language":"es","url":"https://newsverum.com/es/news/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads"},{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads?lang=de","language":"de","url":"https://newsverum.com/de/news/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads"},{"api_url":"https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads?lang=pt","language":"pt","url":"https://newsverum.com/pt/news/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads"}],"url":"https://newsverum.com/en/news/qassim-artisans-turn-date-pits-into-prayer-beads"},"version":"1"}