Fashion’s next material revolution may not come from a lab in Paris or Milan — but from the tides of the Red Sea. Along Saudi Arabia’s coastline, scientists, designers, and textile innovators are transforming Sargassum seaweed into a wearable fabric, turning a fast-growing marine biomass into a new generation of sustainable textile. The initiative, led by KAUST Beacon Development in collaboration with the Saudi Fashion Commission and PYRATEX, is part of a broader effort to rethink how fashion sources its raw materials.

The project was recently presented as the Red Sea Seaweed Textile, demonstrating how locally sourced algae can be converted into blended yarns and finished garments. Stella McCartney does it. So why not Saudis?

“This material represents a milestone in our mission to build a future-focused, sustainable fashion ecosystem in Saudi Arabia. It demonstrates how local resources, scientific excellence, and creative talent can come together to deliver solutions for the global fashion industry,” said Burak Çakmak, CEO of the Saudi Fashion Commission.

KAUST’s role has been central. Its marine scientists studied the biochemical structure of Red Sea seaweed and developed responsible harvesting methods that preserve both the ecosystem and the algae’s functional properties.

An abaya made from seaweed?

“By researching the biochemical properties of Red Sea seaweed, we were able to integrate local algae species into an innovative blended yarn,” said Fiona Symes, COO of KAUST Beacon Development.

PYRATEX  then translated that biomass into textile form, blending the algae with Lyocell and organic cotton to produce a fabric that is breathable, traceable, and suitable for garment production. The Saudi Fashion Commission’s development studio produced complete garments from the material — not as conceptual pieces, but as real clothing.

Saudi Arabia’s fashion scene has been showing dynamic evolution. Recent runway shows in the Kingdom featured bathing suits in a historically very modest country.

These shows reflect a larger shift in how fashion in the Middle East engages global trends while honoring local sensibilities — moving beyond traditional expectations to embrace broader stylistic expressions that include functional, climate-appropriate swimwear alongside couture and everyday wear.

The seaweed fabric project reflects a growing shift across the fashion world. Designers such as Stella McCartney have long argued that sustainability cannot rely only on recycled synthetics or reduced harm. McCartney has repeatedly called for materials that are regenerative, ethical, and transparent — fibers that restore ecosystems rather than merely slow damage.

Luxury and performance brands alike are now experimenting with algae, mycelium, pineapple fiber, cactus leather, and agricultural waste. But what makes the Red Sea initiative distinctive is its regional grounding: a local marine resource transformed locally, with scientific validation and design integration.

Fashion is one of the most environmentally demanding industries on Earth, responsible for heavy water use, chemical pollution, and carbon emissions. Changing fabrics may seem small, but materials determine supply chains, farming practices, and waste streams.

Seaweed offers a radically different model. It grows without freshwater irrigation, fertilizers, or farmland. It absorbs carbon and regenerates rapidly. It does not compete with food systems. And it invites coastal stewardship rather than land exploitation.

For Saudi Arabia, this project also signals a broader narrative shift. The Kingdom is increasingly positioning itself not only as an energy producer, but as a knowledge and innovation economy — where science, sustainability, and culture intersect.

For fashion, the message is equally clear: the future of luxury will not be defined only by design houses, but by material intelligence. Garments made from seaweed may not replace cotton or polyester tomorrow. But they challenge designers, investors, and consumers to imagine clothing that begins in ecosystems rather than factories.

As Stella McCartney and other sustainability leaders have shown, fashion does not change when trends shift. It changes when materials do.

The post Seaweed fashion brands can source from Saudi Arabian sea appeared first on Green Prophet.

I was having breakfast with an American friend who’d come to visit me in Bahrain. Together we sat in a hotel restaurant, windows on all sides looking down on the city hurtling past below. We’d come there to meet with a woman from an Arabian Gulf state I was interviewing for my book, Hear Us Speak: Letters From Arab Women, which paints a portrait, through a series of interviews, of what life is like for Arab women today.  This includes the difficult consequences they face due to a lack of legislation protecting some of their most basic human rights. 

When we saw the woman walking toward us, my friend turned to me and said quietly, “She’s completely covered. I didn’t expect a woman wearing a hijab would be able to speak openly about these subjects for your book.”

This notion—that being modest and conservative means you must be silent and submissive—is by far the most incorrect perception the West has of women who cover their faces and heads.  On top of that, as my friend affirmed, Westerners often assume that a woman in a hijab or abaya is not only submissive, but that she is also being controlled or abused.

As a Bharanian woman and the mother of a beautiful young adult daughter, I know that this is simply not true. I know that women who choose to wear hijabs or abayas have opinions and character, just the same as any woman in the West. Their choice to cover their hair and dress in a more conservative fashion is just that: a choice, rooted in their beliefs.  

I meet women every day who are living proof that a scarf covering the hair does not signify helplessness. Often, it is quite the opposite. One such woman is a Saudi media icon I interview in Hear Us Speak. She began her career teaching at the university in Riyadh.  At the time she was  considered something of a rebel—she was a muthajba, meaning she wore the conservative head scarf and modest clothing.  Yet she didn’t believe in the existing structures and was always challenging her students. 

One day she was invited to be a panelist on a talk show—the Arabic equivalent of “The View.” She saw it as a chance to be a pioneer.  The university’s administrator told her, “If you take this job, I will fire you.” But she fought back, saying, “You have male lecturers who are not fired for being on television. I should be awarded the same rights.”

Some conservative women in Saudi Arabia did not accept her. They called her kafara, which means infidel, a woman of no religion. And yet many Saudi women thought it was wonderful to have a Saudi woman representing them on this pan-Arab talk show panel.  

The TV show experienced huge success. It was the number-one talk show for seventeen years, and received numerous accolades and awards. She had taken a chance, and decided to be a pioneer facing all the consequences, head on. Today, she says she’s very glad she did.

She’s also very proud to wear a headscarf. She told me: “I wear this by choice, and I believe in it. It might not be for everyone, but it is for me. I never doubted the concept of wearing a hijab.”  And she is not alone.  Countless Muslim women, including in the Arab world, feel proud and even empowered wearing a hijab.  There are many reasons, including solidarity, national pride and faith. As this article in The Conversation explains, “some Muslim women in America may wear the hijab as a way of asserting their pride in the face of Islamophobia.”

The woman my friend and I met in the hotel told us:  “The strength of a woman has nothing to do with whether or not she chooses to cover her hair. There is no correlation. Wearing a hijab (headscarf) does not mean a woman is submissive. I have friends who wear it, and it’s perfectly normal. There are many different reasons a woman might wear one—it could be religion, family influence, cultural influence. But it does not take away her strength.”

My hope is that rather than focusing on the hijab and the myths surrounding it, the Western world will become aware of the far more real and pressing issues Arab women face today: the difficult consequences of a lack of legislation, including a lack of legal protection in all areas of society, from business to family life.  I wrote Hear Us Speak to bring these issues to light.

_____

Suzan Kanoo is widely considered to be one of the leading business women of Bahrain and has proven to be successful in many fields. After completing her degree in economics in the US, she joined the family business of KE Kanoo Group and was able to grow the car trading business to new heights. Aside from her work in business and investment, she is a sought-after speaker at global events, a writer and poet, and active in volunteering work for refugees, visiting camps all over the world under the banner of the UN.

The post Dispelling the hijab myth appeared first on Green Prophet.

Designers from around the world will parade their latest collections in Abu Dhabi’s first-ever Eco Fashion Show, a five-day event featuring couture-with-a-conscience this April.  Designed to raise awareness of green practices nationwide, it’s part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Green Festival 2014,  and an offshoot of Berlin-Dubai Designer Exchange 2013, conducted in partnership with the Goethe-Institute Gulf Region.

Linking product lines to the environment is a clever differentiator; hug a tree or two and your frocks immediately stand out in the world’s uber-competitive $400 billion-dollar rag trade. (We’ll take forward strides in sustainability regardless of how they’re dressed up!)

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Abaya (the long, black cloak) and hijab (headscarf) are usually made out of rayon, polyester, or nylon. Nasty traps for heat and moisture, these fibers also fall fairly low on the sustainability pyramid.

Pricier pure silk versions are popular in the Gulf states, but often incorporate toxic dyes, synthetic crystals or plastic beads – hardly green embellishments. What’s an eco-Muslimah to do?

Last year’s Dubai Designer Exchange challenged Emirati and German designers to create eco-friendly garments; collaboration was encouraged, as was use of recycled and sustainable materials.

This year’s Abu Dhabi event is open to designers across the Middle East and beyond.  UAE’s Dantella Designs, Omani designer Amr Ali’s UK-based Body AMR (see lead image) are slated to participate, as will Dubai-based Future Fashion who will present their Reuse jeans, which are made from 80% recycled fabric.

“Sustainability is the way forward for the fashion industry, and I think the UAE, the hub of fashion in the Middle East, is the best place to introduce such a concept to the Middle Eastern customers,” said Ayesha Siddequa, Future Fashion’s creative director.

Abu Dhabi Mall, the host of the April show, hopes to spur social change through sustainably produced fashion. “Sustainability is a key to the future of green practices across all industries, and the UAE Green Festival is a strong demonstration of the UAE’s commitment to this trend,” said Magnus Roxner, Abu Dhabi Mall manager.

The Eco Fashion Show, which features a catwalk made of green building materials, runs from April 8-12. Eco-couture for men and children will also be displayed.

Top and bottom images from Body AMR; middle image from Eluxe Magazine

The post How green is your abaya? appeared first on Green Prophet.

In June, a Jordanian woman was fired from her job for refusing to don a headscarf. She responded by filing suit against her Arab employer for unlawful dismissal, kicking off a media debate over how much tolerance is acceptable when Islamic and secular principles clash.

Vivian Salameh, a Christian, was assistant manager of corporate operations at the Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank since 2010. She told The National: “We are not in Iran, we are in Jordan, and we must continue to enjoy personal and religious freedoms as stipulated by our constitution. I respect the hijab (headscarf), but it represents Muslim women and I’m Christian.”

Christians make up nearly 4% of Jordan’s 6 million people.

Salameh is supported by the Jordanian Network of Civil Society Organization, which consists of 10 civil society and human rights organizations. Although the Ministry of Labor had approved the bank’s enforcement of new dress code regulations, that approval contradicted the Jordanian constitution.

It’s unfair to make them wear.

Both critics and supporters have posted views on dozens of websites. Conservatives accused her of using the case to distort the image of Islam. Some said an Islamic bank should deny employment to non-Muslims.  Others posture an alternate situation: what if a Muslim employee was forced to wear a crucifix?

Salameh worked for Jordan’s Industrial Development Bank for 25 years until it was acquired in 2010 by Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank, whose parent company is based in the United Arab Emirates. Last year, a new dress code was implemented, including waist-to-heel skirts and head covers for female employees. Women workers are also prohibited from wearing bright colors, tight pants, and high heels. She accepted the uniform, but refused to wear the hijab on grounds that it violated her religious beliefs. Five other Christian women employees willingly donned hijab.

A bank spokeswoman confirmed that the dismissal was based on Salameh’s refusal to comply with the uniform. The bank is an Islamic establishment, compliant with sharia law, and the dress code is intended to reflect conservative Muslim values. The bank’s head of corporate communication, Eman Afaneh, said the policy is like “McDonald’s where employees put on hats during working hours. It’s part of the uniform.”

There has been no follow-on news as to whether the court will hear the case, although one source has stated both sides are seeking to settle the matter outside of the legal system.

Jordan is representative of over 50 countries with majority Muslim populations where hijab use is unlegislated: it’s a personal matter. The hijab is not an explicitly religious symbol, but rather more of a cultural and personal approach to modesty. Many Muslim women don’t wear the hijab, but millions of others choose to. Only Iran and Saudi Arabia legally restrict women’s clothing.

It’s unfair to ban their wear.

Meanwhile, FIFA’s International Football Association Board formally approved use of headscarves for female Muslim players, reversing a ban on the Islamic hijab that’s been enforced since 2007. Soccer rules prohibit equipment that is dangerous or makes religious statements. The decision was announced last Thursday after FIFA’s medical committee tested two soccer hijab prototypes. designs after finding no safety threat in their use.

The soccer hijab uses a magnetic system that allows it to be opened and released instantly if the headscarf is pulled on.  The sport-friendly versions of the hijab are responsive to FIFA’s safety objections: they covers the hair and neck, and are made of breathable material.  Although the headscarf ban is now lifted, and the prototypes approved, FIFA said it will eventually choose an official version by October.

FIFA’s 2007 ban cited safety concerns. In rough play, athletes could be pulled by their hijab, risking serious injury. But ponytails can also be grabbed. Two years ago, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) defied FIFA’s ruling and allowed women players to wear the hijab in games.

Last year, the hijab-wearing Iranian soccer team was blocked from playing in Olympic qualifying matches held in Jordan. Three women on the Jordanian national team were also disqualified, as they too refused to remove their hijab prior to play.

In banning the hijab, FIFA effectively banned millions of Muslim women worldwide from playing soccer on the global level. The incidents incited heated global debate on the relationship between culture, sports and politics. Prince Ali of Jordan, FIFA vice-president for Asia, has said the traditional Islamic headscarf should not prevent Muslim women from taking part in Olympic football competitions. The United Nations has backed Prince Ali’s efforts, stating players have the right to wear a safe, Velcro-opening headscarf in FIFA-regulated matches and competitions.

Female Muslim athletes have been trapped between rising anti-Muslim sentiments and culture wars being fought mainly in North America and Europe. Lifting the ban expands women’s participation in the world’s most popular sport, and in so doing, casts light on cultural differences and more importantly, similarities. Tolerance grows from understanding and familiarity.

Let the games begin.

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