The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) is participating in the inaugural edition of Downtown Design Riyadh, the Kingdom’s first fair dedicated to contemporary, high-quality design, with a presentation that highlights how its creative programs foster exploration, community engagement, and cross-disciplinary dialogue.
At the event, which runs until until May 23 at JAX District, Ithra was a key voice in a dynamic panel discussion themed “Fostering community in a fast-forward market.”
The session explored the importance of building a vibrant design community and emphasizing the role of creative education, mentorship, institutional support, and cross-sector collaboration in empowering emerging designers as they shape the Kingdom’s design landscape.
Ithra’s Creativity & Innovation Unit Head, Sultan Albadran, joined the panel alongside senior culture and design leaders from the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, the Saudi Artisanal Company and Iwan Maktabi, a legacy family brand specializing in antique and contemporary carpets, to share Ithra’s contributions in design.
Albadran touched upon Ithra’s ongoing efforts to create opportunities for designers to push their creative boundaries, engage across disciplines, and explore new forms of expression.
He spoke of the contributions made through Ithra’s programs such as Tanween, Ithra’s annual flagship design event, which have created spaces where experimentation is not only encouraged but translated into real-world outcomes.
Some of these outcomes are on view for audiences to experience at Downtown Design Riyadh, in the form of three installations: Adeem, IWAN Pavilion, and Open Segments. Originally developed through Tanween, each piece explores the potential of design to bridge references from Saudi material culture with globally resonant ideas in spatial and product design.
Ithra not only facilitated their creation, but has also extended their journey beyond Ithra’s walls with their exhibition at Downtown Design Riyadh, building on previous showcases at Milan Design Week, Concéntrico International Festival of Architecture and Design in Spain and Dubai Design Week.
The installations are accompanied by a public workshop series run by Ithra that has attracted participants of all ages and backgrounds. These are the only hands-on workshops taking place at Downtown Design Riyadh, and reflect Ithra’s engagement-led approach to inspiring creativity.
Sessions include modular folding structures, silkscreen printing, and sustainable packaging, offering participants opportunities to experiment with technique, explore form, and consider the role of design in addressing contemporary challenges.
Reflecting on the fair, Albadran said: "Ithra is honoured to contribute to the inaugural edition of Downtown Design Riyadh, a historic milestone in the Kingdom’s emergence as a global cultural hub. Our participation reflects Ithra’s role within this thriving ecosystem, nurturing creativity and offering meaningful opportunities for designers to engage with global audiences."
As the Saudi debut of the Middle East’s leading contemporary design fair, Downtown Design Riyadh has provided the perfect setting for Ithra to showcase its continued efforts towards building a rich creative ecosystem, with design serving as a medium for meaningful storytelling, material exploration, and dialogue across sectors and borders.-TradeArabia News Service
