Trends · Culture report

Saudi Arabia's design moment, in six dates

A decade of new institutions, festivals and a script recognised by UNESCO. The timeline every brand launching in the Kingdom should know.

Riyadh skyline at night with Kingdom Centre

Saudi Arabia has spent the past decade building institutions for its creative sector. For anyone launching a brand in the Kingdom, the timeline is worth knowing. It shapes what customers see around them every day, and what they've come to expect.

25 April 2016 Vision 2030 is announced. The national plan to diversify the economy puts culture and entertainment among its priorities.
2018 The Ministry of Culture becomes a ministry in its own right, separate from the former Ministry of Culture and Information.
February 2020 Eleven cultural commissions are approved at once. One of them, the Architecture and Design Commission, covers graphic, interior and industrial design alongside architecture.
2020 to 2021 The Year of Arabic Calligraphy. The Ministry of Culture's celebration of the script was extended into 2021 because of the pandemic.
18 March 2021 Noor Riyadh opens. The first edition of the city's light art festival ran until 3 April under the theme Under One Sky.
14 December 2021 UNESCO adds Arabic calligraphy to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Saudi Arabia led the nomination, joined by 15 other Arab countries.

What it means for a brand launching now

These are our takeaways as a studio designing for this market. They're opinions, built on the dates above.

Arabic deserves first-class design. With calligraphy recognised as regional heritage, an Arabic logotype that looks like an afterthought stands out for the wrong reasons.
Local references carry weight. Patterns, materials and colours drawn from the region read as intentional, as long as they're handled with restraint.
The bar keeps rising. Festivals, public art and new cultural venues put more considered design into daily life, and customers compare.

Design for the street your customer walks down. Then make sure it still works on their phone.

A commission for designers

The Architecture and Design Commission covers more than its name suggests. Its remit includes graphic, interior and industrial design alongside architecture and urban planning. According to Saudipedia, its work includes training programmes, professional courses, accreditation of certificate-granting bodies and scholarships.

In December 2021 it also launched the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism, which promotes a distinctive Saudi architectural style.

Questions people ask

What is the Architecture and Design Commission?

A commission under Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture, established in February 2020. It develops the architecture and design sector, including graphic, interior and industrial design.

When was Arabic calligraphy added to UNESCO's heritage list?

On 14 December 2021, as "Arabic calligraphy: knowledge, skills and practices", after a nomination led by Saudi Arabia with 15 other Arab countries.

What is Noor Riyadh?

A light art festival in Riyadh and the first initiative of the Riyadh Art programme. Its first edition ran from 18 March to 3 April 2021 under the theme Under One Sky.

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Sources

Written by Brandtastic Design Studio.