GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The city of Hebron is full of different types of crafts that distinguish it from other Palestinian cities. This led it to win the 2016 World Crafts City award, organized by the World Crafts Council (WCC). Rula Maayah, the Palestinian minister of tourism and antiquities, learned that Hebron won the title Sept. 6. The WCC organizes the competition on a yearly basis in a bid to record crafts from around the world and to encourage craft.

Ahmed Rajoub, an official with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, told Al-Monitor he was thrilled to learn that Hebron won the title. He confirmed that this win was expected, as the WCC evaluation committee visited Hebron in early August and shortlisted the city. Rajoub said the results were announced earlier than expected due to technical reasons related to the council; the winners were to have been announced Sept. 22.

Ziad Jaber, an engineer at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Hebron, told Al-Monitor, “What made us win is our compliance with the conditions of the competition, as the city was up to the world level of handicrafts in terms of longevity and genuineness. Also, crafts directly contribute to the improvement of the economic situation of the workers and employ the highest possible number of workers in Hebron, where there are developmental policies set to improve the quality of this work.”

Jaber confirmed that the ministry opted for crafts for the WCC competition because Hebron excels at them and that Hebron’s crafts — glass, ceramics, pottery and embroidery — have both historical and economic importance. He said that while the competition only required one craft, the ministry preferred to submit four to enhance its chances of winning.