Today, January 19, 2025, during a provincial briefing session on the Fajr Handicraft Festival, Maryam Jalali, deputy minister of handicrafts, emphasized the festival’s role in promoting authenticity in Iranian handicrafts. “While the recent handicraft exhibition focused on commercialization and sales, the Sarv-e-Simin Festival prioritizes the preservation of authenticity and cultural heritage,” she noted.

Jalali highlighted the government’s commitment to handicrafts, with a presidential directive mandating government entities to purchase handicrafts for gifting purposes. She also pointed to the recent unveiling of the National Handicraft Development Plan, describing it as a roadmap for a bright future for the sector.

Behzad Ahmadi Farsani, the scientific secretary of the 9th Sarv-e-Simin Festival, shared updates on the event, which has so far attracted 2,090 submissions from 31 provinces and 30 international works. He stated that this year's judging process has been revamped to ensure impartiality, with external experts evaluating the works.

Seyed Amin Saneey Mehri, the executive secretary of the festival, also said: “For the first time, we’ve introduced a fully online system for submissions, monitoring, and evaluations, aligning the festival with international standards”.

He revealed that wooden and wicker crafts have dominated submissions, while marine-themed handicrafts have seen the least participation. Social media engagement and collaboration with local, national, and international media have created a competitive and vibrant atmosphere for the festival.

Concluding the session, the organizers expressed their hope to honor artisans and veterans of the handicraft industry through a successful and impactful event that elevates Iranian craftsmanship on the global stage.