TOOLS & SKILLS

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Saudi Futuring Workshop

A workshop methodology & kit that introduces & engages the Saudi public in futures thinking & speculative design.

It includes a designed Carrom inspired Future’s Wheel game board, re-usable acrylic Futures Consequence Chips, and a re-usable acrylic Future Scenario Building Deck.

I also conducted 3 rounds of iterations with Saudis in NYC, focusing on creating speculative scenarios and possible solutions around the future of pet ownership in Saudi Arabia.

For a more comprehensive look into the research and process behind this project, please refer to my blog.

Motivation

Vision 2030 -
Now is a time in which the Kingdom is witnessing rapid social, economic, urban and political developments.
While these changes are great, they can quite often feel like a PASSIVE experience, during which the public are mostly engaged as consumers, and less so like advisors / creators.

Civic Engagement with Municipal Council Members -
The citizens are ready to take initiative, and be engaged in decision making. This can be seen in their engagement with the municipal council elections (the first of which was only in 2010) and their eagerness to voice their opinions on Twitter (KSA being the 4th country with the highest twitter users).

Goals

Introduce speculative design workshops, and a Futuring mentality to a nation that I believe needs it. In doing so,
I want to create a playful, and non-intimidating approach to a new way of thinking, in a “safe space” for creative ideation and discussion.
The insight generated through discussions of possible futures in KSA, could then feed into decision making processes & considerations
by the municipality.

My aim is to get people to be ACTIVE participants in the conversations about the future of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Research

In order to do so, I focused on adapting the workshops to a setting and methodology that is familiar to the culture back home. The workshop
atmosphere is thus inspired by the traditional Majlis setting, and take place in a similar scene.

What is almajlis?

A Saudi culture & Social Form:
A Majlis is defined as ‘sitting places’ where community members gather to discuss local events and issues, exchange news, receive guests, socialize and be entertained. The Majlis is where the community gathers to resolve problems, pay condolences… It is typically a space with carpets on the floor and cushions against the wall, with dates and Arabic coffee served fresh.

The word Majlis has now evolved to refer to Majlis Al Shura (Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia)

What is Carrom?

Carrom is one of the oldest, most famous and traditional games of the Hijaz Region of KSA, becoming an essential part of the heritage despite originating in India.

The main pillar of the game lies in the flick of the finger, pushing the stones on the soft wooden board.

Future Aim

Future to take this project to municipal councillors back home, and push for its adoption in the current structure-less neighborhood / district “meetings”.