When the timeless artistry of Italian craftsmanship converges with the forward-looking vision of Saudi Arabia, Red in Progress – Salone del Mobile.Milano meets Riyadh emerges as more than an event – it becomes a living dialogue in design. This is where collaboration evolves into culture, and shared creativity builds lasting connections, shaping not just spaces, but the future of design in the Middle East.
Stories are woven from words and scenarios the mind loves to wander through; Design, too, is a story – crafted by hands that build and eyes that see, shaped by the dialogue between vision and material. To write a new story in design, one must look at the craft of others, absorb their syntax, and add one’s own rhythm. Red in Progress emerges as one such narrative – a collaboration where two creative languages begin to converse.
Realised in strategic partnership with the Architecture and Design Commission under the Ministry of Culture, and supported by Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), Red in Progress – Salone del Mobile.Milano meets Riyadh marks a defining moment. More than 35 renowned Italian brands, celebrated year after year in Milan, will come together with a curated selection of Saudi designers in Riyadh.
When new design narratives are born – especially those written across cultures – it takes two to move in harmony. The dialogue between Italian craftsmanship and Saudi creativity unfolds here, driven by a shared aspiration to build bridges through design. At its heart lies Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s call to reimagine its cities and creative economy, matched by Italy’s enduring legacy of innovation and artistry.
A Meeting of Worlds at KAFD
From 26 to 28 November 2025, the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) will transform into a canvas for design, dialogue, and collaboration. The event was announced by Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman, CEO of the Architecture and Design Commission, and Maria Porro, President of Salone del Mobile.Milano, during the Cultural Investment Conference in Riyadh.
This initiative is the first activation under the strategic partnership between the Architecture and Design Commission and Federlegno Arredo Eventi S.p.A., the organiser of Salone del Mobile.Milano. It marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration aimed at strengthening professional exchange, fostering sustainable innovation, and elevating design standards through knowledge-sharing and cross-cultural partnerships.
Dr. Sumayah highlighted that the launch of Red in progress. Salone del Mobile.Milano meets Riyadh will strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position on the global design and furniture stage. She explained that the event will act as a bridge between Saudi and international designers, opening new avenues for collaboration and exchange while reinforcing the Kingdom as a destination for creativity and innovation. She also noted that it will broaden knowledge-sharing with leading institutions, foster collaboration between Saudi and global stakeholders, and attract investment, actively contributing to the growth of the creative industries in line with Vision 2030.
Riyadh’s historic transformation under Vision 2030 – with its monumental giga-projects, booming residential and hospitality sectors, and positioning for global events like Expo 2030 and FIFA 2034 – made it an apt choice for Salone del Mobile.Milano’s Middle East debut, creating a natural bridge between the Kingdom’s ambitious development goals and the excellence of Italian design.
Where Collaboration Becomes Culture
At the heart of Red in Progress stands a scenographic installation by Gio Forma, its semi-transparent red fabric wrapping a modular scaffolding – a metaphor for construction, continuity, and transformation. Red becomes more than a colour; it is energy in motion, the connecting thread between Milan and Riyadh.
Around this central installation unfolds a rich cultural programme – a series of masterclasses, round tables, and design dialogues curated with the Architecture and Design Commission. Each conversation opens a window into the evolving design landscape of the Kingdom and the shared language of innovation uniting Saudi Arabia and Italy.
“Riyadh is the place where vision becomes city,” Adding further Maria Porro stated “With Red in progress. Salone del Mobile.Milano meets Riyadh, we are bringing the design culture of the Salone and the exhibiting companies to this country to listen and work together with contractors, developers and architects – not a showcase, but a space where collaboration and content meet, and ideas become places. The focus is business-first: facilitating meetings between firms and professionals in the Saudi market, sharing expertise and best practices in the delivery of interiors in large development programmes and consolidating an institutional dialogue that combines cultural dimension and concrete results, in line with Vision 2030. With this first event we wish to narrate the value of Italian design, as well as featuring a working table geared to understanding how to build effective synergies, making the Salone an ally in accelerating quality, innovation and sustainability in the Kingdom’s projects”
Spaces of Exchange
The event’s Business Lounge, designed by Lissoni & Partners, offers an elegant setting for meetings, presentations, and strategic discussions with Saudi decision-makers. Complementing this, site visits to giga-projects in Riyadh and beyond create pathways for collaboration between Italian brands and Saudi developers, connecting global expertise to local ambition.
A Lifestyle Area, developed in partnership with KAFD retailers and Italian – Saudi food and beverage brands, captures the convivial spirit of Italian living – spaces where conversation, culture, and cuisine come together.
Institutional showcases will highlight Saudi Arabia’s rapidly evolving design scene, including the Designed in Saudi initiative, which empowers local designers and positions the Kingdom as a global destination for creativity and craftsmanship.
The Beginning of a Shared Story
Red in Progress – Salone del Mobile.Milano meets Riyadh is more than an event; it is the prototype of a shared cultural future – where Italian mastery and Saudi innovation meet to craft a new design language. Supported by institutions that champion creativity as diplomacy, this initiative transforms the act of construction into an act of connection.
From Milan’s ateliers to Riyadh’s skyline, the red thread continues – symbolising passion, purpose, and progress. And in its weave lies the beginning of a story still being written: one where two design cultures meet, listen, and build the future together.
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