From November 26th to 28th, 2025, Red in Progress: Salone del Mobile.Milano meets Riyadh will transform the King Abdullah Financial District into a landmark showcase of contemporary design, marking a major step in the fair’s expanding global presence. For the first time, the world-renowned Salone del Mobile enters the Middle East, offering a preview of the first Salone del Mobile Riyadh edition scheduled for 2026.
Blending Italian craftsmanship with Saudi Arabia’s rapidly evolving creative landscape, the three-day programme signals a new era of cultural exchange and design innovation.
A new chapter for Salone del Mobile Riyadh
Developed in strategic partnership with the Architecture and Design Commission at the Saudi Ministry of Culture, the event underscores the Kingdom’s growing importance as a global design hub. The initiative builds on a multi-year agreement to strengthen professional networks, support local talent, and align innovation and sustainability standards with Saudi Vision 2030.
For Salone del Mobile, this Riyadh activation is both a cultural gesture and a business-forward project. The district will become a dynamic meeting point, hosting curated exhibitions from more than 35 Italian brands, each selected for their excellence in materials, innovation and sustainable practice.
Giò Forma leads the signature installation
At the heart of the event is a striking installation designed by the international architecture studio Giò Forma, long admired for its theatrical spatial vocabulary. For Riyadh, the studio reimagines the raw language of the construction site as cultural architecture: modular scaffolding wrapped in semi-transparent red textiles, creating a glowing landscape of light, shadow and motion.
This architectural feature serves as an entrance to the world of the Salone del Mobile. Inside the structure, furniture, lighting and materials from leading Italian companies are presented in a display of craftsmanship, beauty and sustainability. Red transcends its role as a mere colour to become a connective tissue between cultures, symbolising energy and transformation.
Programme highlights: talks, talent and design futures
Curated by Annalisa Rosso, the international cultural programme will bring together thinkers, designers and architects from Italy and Saudi Arabia. The agenda includes:
- Masterclasses and Round Tables exploring urban transformation, innovation and sustainability
- Case studies mapping new design identities across the region
- Discussions centred around emerging talent and the future of contemporary design
- An informal, human-centric forum designed to foster direct dialogue between speakers and participants
Business lounge and B2B: connecting markets
A significant component of Salone del Mobile Riyadh is the Business Lounge designed by Lissoni & Partners. Curved walls, pleated illuminated pillars and greenery create an elevated environment for scheduled meetings, brand presentations, and networking between Italian manufacturers and Saudi developers, contractors and architects
Site visits to major projects across Riyadh and the Kingdom will further deepen collaboration opportunities and help companies understand the region’s evolving needs.
A preview of 2026—and a red thread into the future
Red in Progress: Salone del Mobile.Milano meets Riyadh is not just an event—it is a manifesto. It visualises the dialogue between Milan and Riyadh, between tradition and innovation, and between global design expertise and a nation undergoing rapid transformation.
With its bold architecture, rich cultural programming and business-first ecosystem, the 2025 edition lays the foundation for a milestone Salone del Mobile Riyadh debut in 2026—one poised to redefine the future of contemporary design in the region.
Red in progress. Salone del Mobile.Milano meets Riyadh, Installation renderings
Courtesy of STUDIO GIÒ FORMA and SALONE DEL MOBILE.MILANO
