It’s become a bit of a tradition at Pink Jinn to compile a holiday gift list featuring our favourite brands and products inspired by the Middle East and North Africa, and we are so excited to present the 2021 edition!
No matter who you’re shopping for, prepare to be inspired by our ideas for gorgeous gifts for the holiday season. Whether you need a present for a booklover, a keen foodie, an Arabic student, a lovely little one, or that friend who has a serious house plant problem, we’ve got you covered!
As always, we’ve focused wherever possible on small, women-owned and artisanal businesses along with social enterprises and fair trade companies so that your gifts are also giving back to local communities across the MENA region.
Consider your holiday gifting sorted! This is our best and most comprehensive gift list yet, so don’t forget to bookmark this page and send it to your loved ones for inspiration so you don’t miss out.
Gifts for Foodies
Get into their good books with one of these delicious presents.
Za’atar Granola | Olive & Heart
Forget breakfast, Olive & Heart’s Za’atar Granola has to be the perfect snack for any time of day. Make your foodie friend’s day with this incredible flavour combo – their bowls of cereal will never be the same again!
Hibiscus Chilli Salt & Omani Za’atar Blend | Dine with Dina
The incredible Dina of sell-out supper club fame is now making it even easier to get some of her Omani flair into your cooking with her ethically sourced range of spices! Try out her Hibiscus Chilli Salt in everything from cocktails to her unbelievably good fudgy cardamom brownie recipe, or gift a taste of Oman with her unique Omani Za’atar Blend.
Unlike za’atar blends from other parts of the Middle East, this Omani blend is sesame free and has its own distinct flavour. The za’atar leaves are sourced from the village of Ja’alan, where local farmer Ahmed works hard to harvest only the highest quality leaves.
Olive Wood Utensils and Tatreez Embroidered Apron Kitchen Gift Set | Sitti x Darzah
Made from sustainably sourced olive wood and traditional Palestinian tatreez embroidery, the gorgeous utensils and apron in this gift hamper from Sitti Social Enterprise will set your loved one’s kitchen apart. Even better, Sitti’s collaboration with Darzah to create these tatreez aprons has generated 1,500 hours of employment for Palestinian artisans in Bethlehem!
Parwana: Recipes and Stories from an Afghan Kitchen | Durkhanai Ayubi
This stunning cookbook allows a glimpse of Afghanistan beyond the headlines, celebrating the incredible culinary wealth and culture of hospitality of Afghanistan. Packed with recipes for everything from weekday family favourites to show-stopping celebration meals, this beautiful book is a collaboration between Durhkanai Ayubi and her mother Farida, which showcases their own family story as well as the beauty of their homeland.
Nisf Jbeil Olive Patterned Bowls | Hilweh Market
Jazz up their dinner table with these gorgeous hand-painted bowls from Hilweh Market. Thrown and decorated by hand in a small, women-run ceramics studio in Nisf Jbeil, a small town near Nablus, these beautiful bowls come in a variety of sizes from small mezze dishes right up to serving bowls.
The Arabesque Table: Contemporary Recipes from the Arab World | Reem Kassis
Drop hints about what you’d like to be served next time they invite you over for dinner with Reem Kassis’s ode to the food of the Arab World. In The Arabesque Table, Reem traces the evolution of cooking across the Arab World, combining painstakingly researched recipes for stunning dishes from history with modern dishes which highlight the classic flavours of the region in new ways.
So whether you’re keen to try a chicken and pine nut pie from the Golden Age of Islam, or a modern Tahini cheesecake, this is definitely the ideal gift for any Middle Eastern food lover.
Gifts for Arabic students
Struggling to know what to buy for your friend who studies Arabic? You can’t go wrong with one of these!
Arabic Alphabet Keyboard Overlay | Amazon
The most practical gift imaginable, these genius overlays let you turn any keyboard into an Arabic one! Much easier to use and less messy than the sticker versions, these overlays are instantly removable and won’t damage keyboards or laptops, making them the perfect solution for anyone needing to type in multiple languages.
Harry Potter in Arabic | Nahdet Misr
Reading a full book in a different script is a huge undertaking, so choosing a story that is very familiar is the best way to get started! Picking a book like Harry Potter, or another title with a plot they already know well, is the perfect gift for anyone looking to improve their Arabic reading.
4 Week Arabic Language Study Planner | Pink Jinn
Learning Arabic can be a challenge, so why not relieve some of their stress and give the gift of calm and confident Arabic practice with this Arabic Study Planner! Beautifully designed, the Planner is packed with tips, resources, schedule pages, effective vocabulary techniques and guidance, and will help them create a focused, effective and fulfilling Arabic study practice, whether they are learning Arabic independently or in a formal course.
It’s especially ideal for those far-flung friends you won’t be seeing in person, as it’s fully downloadable, so no shipping required!
Harvest Notebooks | Nöl Collective
Upgrade their stationery collection with these beautiful notebooks from Nöl Collective. Made in Palestine, you can choose from four harvest-inspired patterns – figs, olives, tangerines and pomegranates to add a hint of the Levant to their study sessions.
Arabic Calligraphy Tote Bag | Hilweh Market
Get them something to carry around all those vocab-filled notebooks with this eye-catching tote from Hilweh Market in Jaffa. Printed with original artwork by Nazarene calligrapher Ahmad Zoabi, this is the perfect pressie for any Arabic enthusiast.
Gifts for Booklovers
Make sure they aren’t short on reading material in 2022 with one of these stunning books.
Rifqa | Mohammed El-Kurd
The debut collection from Palestinian poet and activist Mohammed El-Kurd is the must-have book of this year. Named for his grandmother, who was older than the state of Israel, his searing poems follow the story of her life, from her forced expulsion from Haifa during the Nakba, to her family’s threatened home in Sheikh Jarrah.
The Slave Yards | Najwa Bin Shatwan
Shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2017 and now available in an English translation, The Slave Yards delves into a dark period of Libyan history through the story of Atiqa, the daughter of an enslaved woman and her white master. Set in nineteenth century Benghazi, this powerful novel explores challenging themes of racism and class.
Bin Shatwan is an academic as well as a writer, and was inspired by a hundred year old photograph to write a novel about slavery in Libya. Due to a lack of written sources, her research for the novel included seeking out oral histories from those who still remember life in the slave yards of Benghazi, allowing her to uncover real life tales of forbidden love like those in the novel, as well as a wealth of traditions and customs unique to the slave yards which she has woven into the fabric of her story.
Gifts for The Friend Who Has Everything
We guarantee you’ll manage to surprise even the hardest person to buy a gift for with these gorgeous, thoughtful and unique present ideas!
Omani Frankincense | Pink Jinn
Make like one of the Three Kings and give the gift of frankincense! The precious resin of the Boswellia Sacra tree is beloved across the Middle East for its sacred and luxurious scent and healing qualities. This gorgeous gift set includes an ornate jar of the highest quality frankincense resin from Dhofar, Oman, along with a set of tongs and charcoal discs so the lucky recipient will be all set to revel in the intoxicating scent of frankincense at home.
Arabic Calligraphy Art Print | Ali Al Masri
Bring a splash of colour with one of Ali Al Masri’s gorgeous prints. In this series, Jordanian artist Al Masri combines traditional Arabic calligraphy with traditional Iranian Gol O Morgh (flower and bird) paintings and bright neon colours to stunning effect.
Tatreez Embroidered Face Mask | Sitti X Pink Jinn
This Tatreez-style cross stitch mask is not only beautiful, comfortable and environmentally friendly, but is also emblematic of Palestinian culture and supports refugees and their communities.
The design reflects traditional Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery, or ‘Tatreez’, celebrating the beauty of Palestinian artisanship and helping to preserve Palestinian cultural heritage.
Every mask is handmade by a refugee woman employed by our partners at Sitti Social Enterprise, which aims to empower refugee communities through employment.
Handmade Moroccan Mug | Chabi Chic
Who wouldn’t appreciate a new coffee mug! Why not make it one of these pretty handmade ones by Chabi Chic, a pottery workshop in Morocco which focuses on fair trade, sustainability and preserving traditional pottery techniques.
Ibiza Al Oud Natural Oil Perfume | Evelyn Naón
Evelyn Naón’s natural oil blend, Ibiza al Oud, is inspired by the Andalusian Valley of Buscatell in the heart of Ibiza. The valley’s lush and majestic irrigation channels were created in the 11th century by the South Arabian and North African tribes that migrated along the Silk Routes of old.
Reflecting the valley’s history of migration and multiculturalism, the Ibiza al Oud blend features the herbs and fruits of this land, along with the ancient scents the tribes brought with them from their homelands. It incorporates notes of Seville orange and lemon, bergamot, Andalusian bay and basil, smoke, Spanish labdanum, Guaiac wood, sandalwood, oud, Atlas cedarwood, musk and amber. Just a little of this gorgeous perfume goes a long way. In a beautiful handmade, tasselled bottle, this perfume is the ultimate gift!
Presents for that Extra Special Someone
Push the boat out with these incredible gifts, all one of a kind and utterly fabulous!
Najma Moroccan Leather Babouche | Pink Jinn
Treat them to a luxurious pair of real leather Moroccan babouche, sustainably handmade from leather remnants in Rabat by artisan shoemaker Simo Mohammed Baqqali. These gorgeous slippers are the perfect combination of Moroccan quality and artisanship, with a sparkly golden twist!
Limala Boujad Rug | By Limala
The exquisite rugs at By Limala are hand-knotted in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco by female artisans. Some feature traditional Amazigh patterns, while others in the Limala Collection merge Amazigh motifs with modern designs and colourways, designed by co-founder Zaid Charkaoui to celebrate his Moroccan heritage.
Limala was founded by Zaid and his wife, Moroccan-German activist, model and social entrepreneur Samira Mahboub. The pair set up the company not only to sell beautiful carpets, but primarily to support rural Amazigh communities and to push back against cultural plagiarism of North African artisanship.
Suzani Waistcoat | Zazi
Each of these fabulous coats is as sustainable as it is completely unique – they are hand-sewn in Afghanistan from vintage pieces of suzani embroidery and upcycled sheepskin. Zazi work closely with their artisan partner families and the Ethical Fashion Initiative to ensure that fair working conditions, sustainability and transparency underlie every piece of clothing they make.
Gifts for Children
Have you got little ones to shop for? Make their day with one of these adorable presents.
Crochet Arabic Alphabet Set | OAK Creative Designs
Start them early with this handmade Arabic Alphabet set from OAK Creative Designs. Crocheted in beautiful bright colours, this is the perfect addition to any multilingual little one’s nursery!
Hamda wa Fisaikra Picture Book | Kaltham Al-Ghanem and May Al-Mannai
This enchanting story of Hamda and Fisaikra, the magical fish, makes the perfect present. With parallels to the story of Cinderella, this lovely story is accompanied by magical illustrations by May Al-Mannai and is available in both Arabic and English.
Kom the Lion Doll | SilaiWali
Who could resist this adorable lion doll! As though he wasn’t cute enough already, this little lion was handmade from fabric remnants from clothing factories by a social enterprise of Afghan refugee women living in India. To purchase in the US, click here. And don’t miss SilaiWali’s beautiful range of Christmas decorations!
Something for Plant Lovers
Looking for a present for a green-fingered friend? Look no further!
Heirloom Molokhia Seeds | El Bustan
Gift a piece of Palestinian horticultural heritage with seeds from El Bustan. It can be tricky to get your hands on molokhia if you’re living outside the Middle East, so why not give a green-fingered friend the chance to grow it at home!
Handmade Keffiyeh Pattern Planter | Love Welcomes
This sleek plant pot is the perfect addition to any houseplant addict’s collection. Handmade by a collective of Palestinian women in a refugee camp just outside Bethlehem, this planter is decorated with a traditional Keffiyeh pattern. Love Welcomes believes in building a brighter future through fair living wages, and each purchase directly supports artisans and their communities.
Gifts for Fashionistas
These ethical alternatives to fast fashion make for the perfect, guilt-free gifts for your fashion-conscious friends.
Hand-embroidered Palestinian Tatreez Choker Tee | Leelaja
The collection at Leelaja effortlessly weaves traditional tatreez patterns into staple pieces of a modern wardrobe. From dresses to this incredible reesha (feather) motif choker tee, Leelaja’s pieces are the perfect way to wear this beautiful craft.
Handmade Moroccan Straw Bags | Haartisanat
Remind them of sunnier times with one of these fabulous Moroccan bags. Handwoven from palm fronds and decorated with natural cotton pom-poms, these bags make the perfect accessory, or they can be used at home as storage!
Damascus Clutch Bag | Pink Jinn
Or how about a beautifully handcrafted crochet clutch bag? This Damascus clutch is perfect to be used as a purse, although it would also make a stunning makeup bag or a pretty little pouch for a mini tablet!
Inspired by the asymmetric patterns of traditional Middle Eastern textile products, each of these clutch bags takes three days to make after three months of training, and every sale directly contributes to providing an income for a Syrian woman who lost her livelihood to the war. Your purchase allows for the generation of continuous income for these women, helping them to sustain themselves and their families.
Floral Puff Sleeve Wrap Shirt | Nöl Collective
This gorgeous 70s inspired wrap top is made especially to order in Ramallah for Nöl Collective, an incredible Palestinian brand which focuses on sustainability and the politics of fashion. Making items to order using natural origin, deadstock fabric allows them to divert material from landfill and to preserve traditional textile production methods, all while supporting female artisans!
We hope you loved this list and found plenty of inspo for your holiday gifting. We’d love to hear from you! What beautiful Middle Eastern brands and products did we miss? And what are your favourites on the list? Leave us a comment below and let us know.
Beautiful selections and very excited to discover the books and some exciting new companies to explore. Please also do consider items from Silver Sahara — a wide selection of exceptional items sourced directly from craftsmen in Morocco and North Africa, with sales benefiting the artisans.