Saudi Design Week will be open to the public between 6-9 October, with more than 100  exhibitors, installations, and talks taking place in Riyadh, at the Al-Faisaliah at Durrat Al-Riyadh Resort in Riyadh’s Banban district. Exhibitors and creatives have been asked to explore the theme of illumination through design. 

Follow Saudi Design Week on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on the latest news on the designers, curators and brands taking part; introducing some of the key exhibitors and what to expect from them in October.

Visit our Website for additional information and to buy tickets. 

Some of the projects to really look forward include:

Special Focus: Humanistic Design 

The exhibition will examine what consists of ‘designing for social welfare.’ The concept and curating is made by the Fair’s organizers in attempt to elevate the conversation of what kind of social change design has the potential to promote. The exhibition will consist of two parts: the‘Wearable Habitation ‘exhibit in partnership with Dr Harriet Harriss from the Royal College of Arts in London, UK showcasing a design RCA students have developed as an affordable, all-in-one coat, tent, and sleeping bag to help deal with Syria’s humanitarian crisis. The second component of the exhibition will be and the poster design exhibit showcasing the finalists from ‘What Design Can Do’ , an initiative headed and developed by Richard van der Laken exhibiting concepts from 20 finalists who responded to the call for designers looking to improve the lives of refugees from a competition held early summer 2016. 

The Al Baydha Project

Al Baydha which is a national project, based in rural Western Saudi Arabia, about 50 kilometers south of Mecca, that is focused on promoting and heritage preservation program and simultaneously alleviating poverty. The Al Baydha Project initiative has been been working with Wondros, a US-based company and will be exhibiting a virtual reality station. The exhibition will highlight the experience and give fair visitors an opportunity to experience the project they’ve been working on of help Bedouin populations in the Kingdom build and maintain their own sustainable communities. 

Sensory Room

The Sensory Room is a showroom where there will be a wide array of both material and interactive actives on display to promote a more engaged relationship with design. Fair audience can Materials and sensations that help with product design will be on display and visitors will visit to get to interact with a wide variety of material. 

O Design Incubator 

Saudi Design Week team alongside a advisory board will be launching a new initiative at this year’s Fair. O Design Incubator is a non-for-profit incubator program that will provide opportunities to Saudi creatives through mentorship programs, internships and scholarship opportunities at local, regional, and international platforms. By working as a bridge between Saudi designers and the design community it will provide an unparalleled opportunity to connect and strengthen the design community in the country. O Design Incubator will be officially launched at the annual Gala dinner, which will also be a fundraiser to raise funds and support for the incubator’s initiatives.