During an official visit to the Italian capital, Rome, the Minister of Social Affairs, Haneen Al-Sayed, discussed ways to benefit from the leading Italian expertise in developing the traditional crafts sector, with the aim of supporting Lebanese craftsmen and enhancing the presence of their products in foreign markets.
The Minister explained, in her blog post on the “X” platform, that she held a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Institutions and “Made in Italy,” Valentino Valentini, during which the prospects for cooperation in the crafts sector were reviewed. Italy has a long history in transforming this sector from a mere cultural heritage into an effective economic engine that creates job opportunities, supports local development, and brings products to the ranks of global markets, at a time when Lebanon has promising potential that can be developed.
The discussions dealt with mechanisms for transferring the Italian experience to the Lebanese market, starting with providing direct support to craftsmen and official recognition of their efforts, passing through the stages of classification and marketing, all the way to securing financing channels and facilitating the access of Lebanese products to international markets.
Al-Sayed stressed that this cooperation is gaining a strategic character in light of the ongoing ongoing efforts to revive “Dar Al-Hafariyeen” in Lebanon, to become an integrated incubator that preserves the craft heritage and supports its workers to develop and expand their work.
The Minister concluded her meeting by presenting an artistic piece of the Jezzine letter, taken from the “Dar Al-Hafariyin” collection, to the Italian official, describing it as a living example of the high skill and rich heritage that Lebanon seeks to preserve and promote locally and internationally.
This diplomatic and economic move is at the heart of the Ministry of Social Affairs’ strategy aimed at revitalizing the “Dar Al-Herafiyin” and granting the traditional crafts sector a developmental and economic role that goes beyond merely preserving heritage, to include creating job opportunities, improving marketing, and linking craftsmen to financing networks and broad markets.
