Saudi Arabia chooses lavender as color for ceremonial carpets, symbolizing identity

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday announced that it chose lavender as the new color for ceremonial carpets used at official state receptions and occasions, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, adding that it symbolizes the identity of the Kingdom.

“The lavender carpets are identical to the color of the Kingdom’s deserts and plateaus in the spring when they are decorated with the color of lavender flowers and other plants such as Desert Germander and basil, which together form a natural violet,” according to SPA.

The lavender ceremonial carpets also include a prominent Saudi cultural element, the traditional art of Sadu weaving on the edges of the new carpets.

In December 2020, UNESCO inscribed Saudi Arabia and Kuwait’s traditional weaving of Sadu on the Intangible Heritage list.

According to UNESCO, traditional weaving of Sadu refers to the conventional woven textile made by Bedouin women.

The horizontal style weaving of Sadu is a form of warp-faced plain weave made on a ground loom. The cloth forms a tightly woven, durable textile and the weavers use natural fibers found in their natural environment.

“The reception ceremony carpets with their new identity reflect the state of renewal, growth and renaissance in the Kingdom under the inspiring Vision 2030 program,” SPA said.

The initiative to change the Kingdom’s ceremonial carpets, a cooperation between the Kingdom’s Ministry of Culture and Saudi Arabia’s Royal Protocol, is “an extension of many national initiatives that celebrate Saudi cultural elements and highlight the national identity,” according to SPA.