For the first time in history, the world’s most influential design fair, Salone del Mobile.Milano, is landing in the Middle East, and Riyadh is its stage. This November, over 35 leading Italian brands will join forces with Saudi designers in a landmark showcase presented in partnership with the Architecture and Design Commission. BURO sits down with Maria Porro, President of Salone del Mobile.Milano, to discuss how this debut marks more than just a new destination, it’s the beginning of a creative dialogue bridging Milan and the region, setting the tone for the evolution of design towards 2026.
HOW WILL A DEBUT IN THE MIDDLE EAST INFLUENCE THE LOCAL DESIGN SCENE AND CREATIVE COMMUNITY?
It aims to strengthen culture, capability, and connection — together. Under a shared culture of quality and sustainability studios and supply chains grow stronger, and projects emerge that are locally rooted yet globally legible. Just as crucial, it builds structured networking: targeted B2B matchmaking, studio–brand introductions, and peer exchanges that turn relationships into briefs, pilots, and orders. As partnerships grow between Saudi studios, developers, contractors and Italian manufacturers, universities, and cultural institutions the ecosystem matures: young talent gains visibility and know-how, supply chains professionalize, and work appears that is unmistakably Saudi in identity and fully at home on the international stage.
WHAT SHOULD VISITORS EXPECT FROM THE FIRST EDITION IN RIYADH?
A focused preview of the Salone experience tailored to the Kingdom: an immersive red installation by Giò Forma; a curated selection of 35+ leading Italian companies across furniture, lighting, and surfaces; a Business Lounge by Lissoni & Partners for targeted B2B meetings; and a talks program co-curated with local voices, spanning innovation, sustainability, and identity. We’ll also host a dedicated moment for Saudi design and lay groundwork for SaloneSatellite-style opportunities for emerging talent. It’s culture and commerce in one frame — useful, welcoming, and designed for outcomes.
HOW WILL THIS FOSTER LONG-TERM EXCHANGE BEYOND 2025?
By affirming design as cultural capital and opening doors. The debut brings a shared language of quality and sustainability, and pairs it with fair access to opportunity—visible stages, credible mentorship, and relationships that lead to work. It strengthens the creative commons: Saudi voices gain international visibility without losing identity, and collaboration becomes the norm rather than the exception. In short, it’s a bridge that turns talent into practice and community into momentum.
WHAT ROLE DO YOU HOPE SALONE WILL PLAY IN 2026 AND BEYOND?
In 2026 we’ll scale up to a full Salone in Riyadh — a true trade fair with a broader exhibitor base, an expanded B2B agenda, and a richer visitor journey. Beyond that, our role is to be a long-term bridge: amplifying the genius loci, connecting Saudi talent to international markets, and bringing Italian industrial culture into productive dialogue with Middle Eastern creativity. If we succeed, the legacy won’t be a single event — it will be an ongoing platform where education, sustainability, and quality design turn ambition into places people love.
WHAT INSPIRED THE MOVE TO RIYADH, AND HOW DID THE PARTNERSHIP COME TOGETHER?
Riyadh is advancing with purpose — aligned with Vision 2030 — and that is precisely where Salone del Mobile.Milano belongs: at the intersection of culture, industry, and education. Our expansion is institutional and value-driven. We move where design can dignify everyday life and strengthen the creative economy through standards, training, and reliable delivery. From the outset, the Architecture & Design Commission has been a strategic counterpart: we share a commitment to excellence, human-capital development, sustainability, and a long horizon. Around this axis, we look to collaborate with Saudi designers, universities, and stakeholders on a common framework: combining our curation of quality, service culture, and production experience with local priorities in a national project that is shaping new places to live, work, and host. In that sense, our partnership is a cultural bridge and a capability-building platform: it celebrates identity, equips talent, and brings international networks to bear on tangible projects in the Kingdom.
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