������Ƶ

JEDDAH: A children’s cookbook showcasing ������Ƶ’s rich culinary heritage has won one of the world’s top awards.

Layal Idriss received the 2024 “Best in the World” Gourmand Cookbook Award in Cascais, Portugal, recently for her work as the creative director, publisher, and visual storyteller behind the “Aklana” book series.

The series is an ambitious project documenting the Kingdom’s culinary culture for children.

Speaking to Arab News, Idriss described the award moment as “truly overwhelming.”

The co-founder of Dar Waraqa and Radish House Agency added: “I was honored to be invited to speak on the Gourmand stage about ‘Aklana’ from Saudi Books, highlighting Saudi culinary food and culture.

“To stand there, representing a project that is so dear to my heart, filled me with immense gratitude.”

The “Aklana” series, created in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Culture’s Culinary Arts Commission and published by Dar Waraqa, comprises 13 individually designed books, each dedicated to one of the Kingdom’s provinces.

The series was envisioned as a “holistic cultural journey” for children, designed to inform and delight local and global readers alike.

Idriss explained that “with every dot we put on paper, we recognized that we were serving a global readership.”

To ensure international accessibility, the books were translated into English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese.

In her role as creative director, she led a team of four to five artists per book, each handpicked to reflect the cultural tone and visual storytelling of the region they depicted.

“The goal was not just beautiful illustrations, but visuals that truly captured the essence of the narrative and cultural elements,” she said.

Ensuring artistic and editorial cohesion across all 13 volumes was no small feat: “Directing multiple artists while maintaining a unified look and feel was a complex yet rewarding challenge.

“From initial sketches to final production, I oversaw every step to guarantee consistency in design and storytelling.”

Alongside project manager Mohammed Hasanain, Idriss also prioritized premium production quality.

She said: “We focused on high-quality production from illustrations to paper believing that a beautifully made book serves as the best messenger for a vibrant culture.”

Speaking about what sets “Aklana” apart globally, Idriss highlighted its unique fusion of cultural depth, educational content and visual excellence.

Each book explores not only food but also local traditions, celebrations and natural resources.

“Many cultural cookbooks might offer recipes, but few delve so comprehensively into the lifestyle, celebrations, and natural resources tied to the food presented through such a rich and consistently high-quality visual narrative,” she said.

For Idriss, this award is validation of a lifelong mission.

“Personally, this award is an incredibly encouraging milestone. I’ve devoted my life to bookmaking with a clear vision: to contribute to building the golden age of children’s literature in ������Ƶ,” she said.

While “Aklana” focuses on culinary heritage, Idriss believes the same level of dedication must extend to all genres of children’s literature in the Kingdom.

“The underlying passion for creating meaningful and beautifully crafted books remains the same,” she added.

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards receive submissions from more than 221 countries and regions.

Every year, the awards ceremony is held in a location known for its gastronomic heritage, attracting publishers, chefs, authors, and journalists from across the globe.

With “Aklana” now part of both the Saudi and global culinary conversation, Idriss hopes it will spark a new wave of culturally grounded publishing initiatives across the Arab world.

“‘Aklana’s’ success provides a strong model. We hope it inspires future projects in the Kingdom and across the region to delve deeper into cultural exploration, setting new benchmarks for quality in publishing.

“We’re committed to continuing this journey, sharing our books globally, as we believe they are vital cultural messengers.”

RIYADH: Uruq Bani Ma’arid, one of ������Ƶ’s most ecologically significant protected areas and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been admitted to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas.

The recognition confirms the site’s global ecological importance and highlights the Kingdom’s growing leadership in conserving arid-land habitats, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

������Ƶ’s inclusion of Uruq Bani Ma’arid follows earlier Green List achievements, notably the Ibex Protected Area and the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve.

These milestones reflect sustained progress toward excellence in protected-area management, according to the SPA report.

Uruq Bani Ma’arid covers 12,765 sq. km at the western edge of the Empty Quarter — the world’s largest continuous sand desert — and harbors the greatest biodiversity in the region. In 2023, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding natural value.

The union’s Green List sets the global benchmark for effective and equitable protected-area management. To qualify, sites must demonstrate transparent governance, measurable conservation outcomes and meaningful engagement with local stakeholders.

Uruq Bani Ma’arid met the criteria through integrated planning, resilient ecological monitoring and habitat restoration programs, the SPA reported.

Under the stewardship of the National Center for Wildlife, Uruq Bani Ma’arid has implemented a breeding and reintroduction program for the endangered Arabian oryx.

Mohammad Qurban, CEO of the National Center for Wildlife, said: “Uruq Bani Ma’arid exemplifies what science-guided conservation can achieve in extreme landscapes. Its inclusion on the IUCN Green List reflects our dedication to protecting biodiversity and delivering real conservation impact at both national and global levels.”

He added that the milestone supports ������Ƶ’s contribution to the global 30x30 biodiversity target — protecting 30 percent of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030 — and aligns with the Saudi Green Initiative, a core pillar of Vision 2030.