Creativity and flair on show at Downtown Design's inaugural Riyadh event

Arab News

20-05-2025

RIYADH: Middle East design fair Downtown Design began on Tuesday at Riyadh's creative hub, JAX District. The fair, a showcase of contemporary design, has been a fixture on the calendar in Dubai since 2013 and has now expanded to the Kingdom for the first time, in partnership with the Saudi Architecture and Design Commission.
The four-day event gives visitors the chance to get a close look at collectible works and ultra-high-end collections presented by international galleries, independent designers and manufacturers.
'What we're seeing here is obviously a very fast-changing landscape, very dynamic market and growing demand for access to quality and contemporary design, which is what we more or less live and breathe for,' Mette Degn-Christensen, the director of Downtown Design told Arab News.
'Our hope is to basically start by creating that kind of fundamental platform here, while thinking about the context, thinking about the local talent as well and the growth of the wider community.
'I think a lot of eyes are on this region and on Saudi Arabia. And what's happening here is there's a lot of new projects that are rising; whether it's residential or commercial or hospitality, we see a massive shift in aesthetics and longevity. There's a shift in looking at materials and for that, we need access.
'All of the different companies, developers, designers that are creating new projects here need access to what it is that we have access to worldwide, and can't necessarily travel all the time to source.'
Organizers said they took a grassroots approach to the curation process when selecting the right exhibitors and speakers for the event.
'I think there's a major push to look at what design can actually do for society, for the economy, for all the different components that are all going into the direction of realizing Vision 2030 for the Kingdom,' Sumayah Al-Solaiman, CEO of the Architecture and Design Commission, told Arab News, referring to the national plan for development and economic diversification.
The role of sustainability in design was another important factor.
'Everything we look at might be visually beautiful, but also we have to understand, you know, how these pieces go into production, how are the materials procured?' Al-Solaiman added.
'How do we think about sustainability and what is the afterlife of these products? All of that brings awareness to not just the importance of design, but also the importance of making the right consumer decisions.'
Downtown Design continues in Riyadh until May 23. The next Dubai event will take place in November.