Saudi Arabia returns to London Design Biennale with ‘Good Water' pavilion
Commissioned by the Architecture and Design Commission, the pavilion is curated by a multidisciplinary design collective comprising Alaa Tarabzouni, Aziz Jamal, Dur Kattan and Fahad bin Naif. Drawing on their backgrounds in architecture, design and the arts, they will challenge conventional notions of access, distribution and the perceived value of water.
Sumaya Al-Sulaiman, CEO of the Architecture and Design Commission, said: 'Saudi Arabia's return to the London Design Biennale marks another chapter in our commitment to design as a tool for dialogue and cultural exchange. We look forward to engaging in conversations on creativity, innovation, and systems thinking during our fourth participation in the event.'
The exhibition responds to this year's biennale theme 'Surface Reflections,' by inviting visitors to reconsider their relationship with water.
At the heart of the Saudi pavilion is a sabeel, a traditional water fountain deeply rooted in Saudi culture that provides complimentary water to anyone who passes by. It is seen as a symbol of hospitality and generosity.
The sabeel, within this context, represents a paradox. While it offers water freely, the reality is that no water is truly free, the exhibition argues. Every drop is made possible through a network of labor, energy and infrastructure — whether extracted through costly desalination, bottled and imported or transported through vast water systems requiring maintenance and oversight. The cost is absorbed by governments, corporations, and workers, yet the long-term impact is shared by all.
In this showcase, 'Good Water' repositions the sabeel not just as a gesture of goodwill, but as a question: Who pays for 'free' water? What does it truly cost?
'The pavilion uses familiar elements to draw attention to water's hidden economies,' said the participants Tarabzouni, Jamal, Kattan and bin Naif in a joint statement. 'It encourages visitors to drink with awareness, to acknowledge the price, and to recognize that while the cost of good water may be borne by someone else, it ultimately affects everyone. By relocating the sabeel to the London Design Biennale—where water scarcity is not an immediate concern—we reframe it as an object of scrutiny, making the invisible visible and the passive active.'
In 2023, Saudi Arabia participated at the 4th London Design Biennale with a pavilion titled 'Woven' by Ruba Alkhaldi and Lojain Rafaa.
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