MILAN — With design firms like Poltrona Frau, Molteni&C and Fendi Casa pinpointing Saudi Arabia as a strategic market, it’s no wonder leading design trade show Salone del Mobile.Milano is planning a Saudi Arabian edition of the fair, which could take place in the near term.
On Monday, Salone del Mobile.Milano said it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Arabian Architecture and Culture Commission to promote a dialogue between Italy and Saudi Arabia in the worlds of design and architecture. The memorandum paves the way for a Saudi edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano. A Saudi Arabian version of the furniture fair would be geared toward initiating cultural dialogue and propelling the work of young talents, a statement said.
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“The memorandum represents an extraordinary opportunity for Salone del Mobile.Milano to create a cultural and commercial bridge between Italy and Saudi Arabia. Through our collaboration, we aim to enhance Italian design and encourage a fruitful exchange of skills and creativity within the Saudi context,” Salone del Mobile.Milano president Maria Porro said.
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Porro revealed the initiative during the Italy-Saudi Arabian roundtable talks in the ancient city of Al-Ula that also welcomed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Saudi Arabia’s prime minister, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Said.
According to FederlegnoArredo, the Italian federation of woodworking and furniture industries and Italian statistics bureau Istat, in 2023 Italian exports from the wood-furniture supply chain to Saudi Arabia totaled 247 million euros, up 2 percent from 2022. Italy is Saudi Arabia’s number-two trade partner, after China, in terms of both wood-furniture and furniture imports.
A significant number of Italian luxury furniture firms have recently invested in expanding their retail footprint in Riyadh, as the nation’s design economy continues to grow.
Last year, Fendi Casa opened a new flagship in Riyadh at the capital’s upscale Tahlia Street in partnership with Dar Al Arkan Interiors, the kingdom’s leading luxury branded furniture company, while Bari-based Natuzzi reopened its Riyadh store on King Fahd Road in July 2024. Tolentino-based Poltrona Frau’s told WWD its Riyadh store opening is expected in May. Molteni&C also said a Riyadh opening is slated for later this year.
At the time of the Fendi Casa opening, chief executive officer Alberto da Passano stressed the growth potential of the Saudi Arabian market, as luxury construction and the nation’s real estate market continues to boom.
“Saudi Arabia is a key market… Riyadh, with its dynamic growth and evolving luxury landscape, represents a strategic opening for us,” said da Passano. “By establishing our flagship boutique in this vibrant city, we will be able to connect directly with a sophisticated clientele that values the Fendi brand while further expanding our presence in a market with significant potential for future growth.”
Design activations and initiatives represent a small but significant part of the Saudi government’s strategy to drive the growth and diversification of its economy, as its government works toward several of its Vision 2030 goals, including increasing the private sector’s contribution to gross domestic product to 65 percent and increasing the contribution of non-oil exports from 16 to 50 percent, among others.
In parallel with retail expansion for European luxury brands in Saudi Arabia, the nation is also focusing more on growing its own design economy. Helped greatly by organizations like the arts and creative industries at the Royal Commission for Al-Ula and the establishment of the Ministry of Culture’s Architecture and Design Commission in 2018, designers worldwide have been welcomed to Al-Ula to take part in the Arab nation’s ongoing cultural renaissance.
During Milan Design Week in 2024, Saudi Arabia’s Arts and Creative Industries at the Royal Commission for the ancient city of Al-Ula exhibited prototypes from the inaugural Al-Ula Design Residency. The debut showcase included the work of French design collective Hall Haus; Leen Ajlan from Saudi Arabia; Bahraini–Danish, the architectural office with offices in Bahrain and Denmark, and Studio Leo Orta from France, as well as Studio Raw Material from India.
In December, Federlegno Arredo president Claudio Feltrin said Saudi Arabia is one of the markets fueling the Italian design industry amid challenging times. “Exports, especially to the U.S., United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and the flexibility and speed of our companies in repositioning themselves in new markets, is allowing us to hold up better than other production confederations amid dark times.”
FederlegnoArredo has yet to report its final figures for 2024, but in 2023, the entire Italian wood-furnishings sector booked 52.6 billion euros in revenue with 10.8 billion euros generated from Lombardy alone. Aside from boosting employment, the wood-furniture supply chain has come together to innovate the sector’s supply chain and create a circular economy as a united front.
In Italy, the 63rd edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano and the 32nd edition of the Euroluce light exhibition will unfold April 8 to 13 at the city’s Rho Fiera trade grounds.
While Porro and her team hosted events in New York, Hong Kong and Shanghai last year, the last foreign edition of the fair took place at the Shanghai Exhibition Center before the COVID-19 pandemic and was envisaged as a showcase for Made in Italy products and the Italian way of living in Shanghai. It remains to be seen whether or not organizers will see the fair return to China.