MILAN — Since its transformation from a sleepy pearl farming hub to the future-forward metropolis it is today, Dubai has long been a reference point for the region across all sectors, design included. But its dominance is about to change.
Downtown Design Dubai, the Middle East‘s leading contemporary design fair since 2012, is about to cut the ribbon on Downtown Design Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s very first design trade show. The four-day fair at the JAX District opened Tuesday and will run through Friday. Organizers are gearing up to blend international and local talents, bringing together industry professionals, decision-makers, and design enthusiasts through exhibitions, installations and a tailored program of talks and activations.
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“In its inaugural edition, what I’m most looking forward to is seeing KSA professionals and design lovers engage with the diversity of our program. The venue is quite spectacular — literally perched on the hilltop of the UNESCO heritage site [At-Turaif], it is unparalleled for a design fair, globally,” Mette Degn-Christensen, founder of Downtown Dubai and director of Downtown Design, said of pulling off Saudi Arabia’s first design fair.
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The fair will feature well-known international brands like Venetian glassmaker Venini, French crystal firm Saint-Louis, and luxury furniture maker Natuzzi.
“We see enormous potential in engaging with a new generation of collectors, architects and patrons who are eager to shape a modern identity without losing sight of tradition,” said Venini president Silvia Damiani. Venini will open a store in Riyadh by the end of 2025.
Regional names such as Jordan-based Naqsh Collective will also take center stage alongside Saudi talent like engineer and designer Noura Suleiman and her brand NWII.III and Riyadh-based furniture designer and ceramic artist Lucas Barceló.
Part of Vision 2030
The expansion aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to diversify the local economy away from oil and beckon international investment. Since the dawn of the strategic initiative the nation has made a significant investment in fashion and design, growing new talent and supporting existing ones. It has also helped draw the international set to the city and residency of Alula. Global industry leaders have taken notice: In 2026 Riyadh will host the first Salone del Mobile.Milano in the region.
Another driver: Saudi Arabia’s contract business is booming, thanks to the proliferation of giga projects and development of vacation islands like Shura and Sindalah and an uptick in branded homes and upscale villas and apartments. The government reported that tourism rose from 60 million overnight stays in 2016 to more than 100 million in 2023, even though the majority of those lodgers are Saudis. The demand for more immediate interior design solutions is fueling local fairs like Downtown Design Riyadh and the Design Doha biennial in Qatar. No longer must designers and builders travel to Dubai to meet their needs.
Degn-Christensen echoed this change.
“We’re all witnessing the pace of development that the dynamic market of Saudi Arabia has experienced in recent years. Driven by some of the KSA’s most ambitious projects and growing real estate developments across retail, hospitality and luxury residential properties, there is strong demand particularly in the interior design industry — and at the same time, there is a surge in great creative talent here,” she said, adding that there’s a new focus on modern aesthetics and materiality, innovation, quality and identity. More than 10 exhibitors at the fair are from Saudi Arabia, while more than 15 are from the United Arab Emirates, she said.
International Brands Arrive
The region’s design retail landscape is thriving, too: Fendi Casa opened its doors last year, partnering with Dar Al Arkan Interiors, which now oversees nine showrooms across Riyadh and Jeddah. Under its umbrella are prestigious brands like Armani Casa, Versace Home, Bentley Home, Dolce & Gabbana Casa, Missoni Home and Elie Saab Maison. Molteni&C and Giorgetti are slated to cut the ribbon on openings in the near term, further establishing Riyadh as a rising design hub.
Doha, a Burgeoning Hotspot
Nearby Qatar also has made strides in developing fashion and design-led initiatives with events like the “Forever Valentino” exhibit in 2022, “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams” retrospective in 2024 and the 2021 Fashion Trust Arabia FTA Prize at the National Museum in Doha. On Tuesday, Art Basel organizers announced that the first Art Basel Qatar will launch in Doha in February 2026.
Anchored in a dynamic long-term partnership with Qatar Sports Investments and QC+, Art Basel Qatar will debut as a concisely curated showcase celebrating Qatar’s vibrant cultural landscape and the dynamic arts ecosystem of the MENA region. The inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar will be held at M7, a creative hub in the heart of Doha, as well as at the Doha Design District in downtown Msheireb.
Fahad Al Obaidly, acting director of Design Doha, the biennial event that began in 2024, told WWD that fashion helped drive attention to the city.
“These events have been instrumental in igniting public interest, attracting global attention, and proving that Doha can be both a stage and a player in the global creative industry. Fashion served as the entry point, allowing us to quickly engage younger audiences, international brands and talent development initiatives. These exhibitions create cultural momentum,” he said.
The inaugural Design Doha was a success, organizers said. The Msheireb Downtown Doha exposition center welcomed 118,000 visitors, including nearly 4,000 international buyers and industry leaders. The event generated an economic impact of $17 million and reached 45.6 million people across various channels. Organizers are promoting the second edition, which will take place from April 16 to June 30, 2026.
“Design, in its broader form, is where we see structural potential — urban planning, public furniture, collectible craft, digital innovation. Design Doha reflects that evolution: a multidisciplinary strategy supported by long-term government investment, infrastructure and policy frameworks,” Al Obaidly continued.
As for producing design, do these countries have what it takes to compete with leaders like France and Italy? Design executives in the region are naturally optimistic. Qatar is home to craft traditions like sadu weaving, gypsum carving, woodwork and calligraphy. The government is also working on integrating these communities into “design ecosystems,” to propel local creatives and firms. Qatar is home to 130 active design firms across interior design, architecture, product design and branding with an increasing number of multidisciplinary studios launching every year.
One such design firm is Fromm., founded by Alia Rachid, daughter of Mayhoola for Investments chief executive officer Rachid Mohamed Rachid. Fromm is a luxury contemporary furniture and accessories brand founded in Doha and Milan with the aim of creating a mix of design and manufacturing. It collaborates with local and international designers to create collections that blend heritage, innovation and contemporary aesthetics.
Rachid later launched Fromm Labs, a creative hub that bridges the distance between Qatar’s design world and Milan, which she still considers the gateway to the global market. This year, Rachid launched the first international design competition inviting under-35 talents to reimagine Arab heritage, access mentorship, production support and garner international exposure.
“The response so far has been very encouraging, whether in Milan, Doha, or across the region. We’re still early in the process, with registration open until May 30, 2025, but the energy is building. We’re connecting with universities, design communities and young talents globally,” she said.
The initiative is guided by a strong mentorship and jury team that includes Al Obaidly; art director and fashion designer Giulio Cappellini; British architect Joseph Grima, and Lebanese-born architect Aline Asmar d’Amman, who most recently designed the interiors for the Middle East’s first train Dream of the Desert, developed with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture, Saudi Arabia Railways and Italy’s Arsenale.
Going Local and Global
Saudi Arabia is also investing in propelling local creativity through the nation’s Arts and Creative Industries at the Royal Commission for the ancient city of Alula and the Alula Design Residency. Together they are playing a key role in cross-cultural pollination of ideas between the global design community and local Saudi Arabian makers and talents. Within this arena, Madrasat Addeera, an Alula-based school, was set up to safeguard and perpetuate traditional crafts. In Milan in 2024, they showed the designs for Madrasat Addeera Editions, the fruit of the creative dialogue between the local design community in Alula and a range of well-known Saudi and international designers and artisans.
One standout collaboration came from French design collective Hall Haus, which was invited by Alula to create Haus Dari, a modern-Majlis-type seating system that mimics desert dunes, settling on the approach and seeing their creation come to fruition took a good six weeks.
Started in 2020 by Zakari Boukhari, Sammy Bernoussi, Teddy Sanches and Abdoulaye Niang, the firm’s design ethos is based on its diverse mix of backgrounds, influenced by hip-hop culture, fashion, art and architecture. “We didn’t know anything about Saudi manufacturing, it was a challenge but in the end, we learned about them and they learned about us,” said Boukhari.
Downtown Design Riyadh will unfold as a showcase of the old and the new. Highlights include NWII.III Interiors’ new furniture line titled “Mezlaj,” which is rooted in Saudi Arabia’s evolving interior design narrative showcasing living and working environments that balance progressive design and traditional sensibilities.
Barceló will present his eclectic sculptural pieces and visitors can explore accessories from Hobal, a Saudi-based, culturally driven design brand.
The fair will also spotlight architectural installations and interactive works previously commissioned by local cultural institutions and initiatives, emphasizing the country’s evolving creative scene. This includes “Narrating Woven” by Ruba Al Khaldi and Lojain Rafaa, an homage to the region’s sadu weaving technique in the spirit of a united future.