‘Locally anchored and globally conversant’: Salone del Mobile debuts in Saudi Arabia

At Salone del Mobile’s annual event in Milan, Italy’s design ecosystem positions itself as both a benchmark and a partner. The fair’s aim is to demonstrate how ‘Made in Italy’ is about adding value from early concept to final installation and beyond. Now, the event’s organisers have taken this know-how to Saudi Arabia, where a debut showcase (until 28 November) is titled ‘Red in Progress’.

Salone lands in Riyadh

'For us, “Red in Progress” is not a showcase; it’s a platform. Over three days, we are offering a curated exhibition with over 35 companies; there will be targeted B2B meetings with Saudi decision-makers, and site visits to giga-projects,' says Maria Porro, president of Salone del Mobile. '“Red in progress. Salone del Mobile Milano meets Riyadh” is a programmatic teaser for the 2026 Salone in the Kingdom: we’re testing content, formats, and services that we’ll scale next year.'

The visitor experience has been ideated to evolve; Giò Forma’s installation, structured as modular scaffolding wrapped in a red fabric is the fil rouge, designed to become a model for immersive, human-centric storytelling. The public programme is curated by Annalisa Rosso, featuring masterclasses and roundtables on innovation, sustainability, and identity.

'The programme is locally anchored and globally conversant, pairing Saudi, Italian, and international voices around concrete, relevant topics: innovation, sustainability, hospitality, urban space, and lighting,' explains Rosso, editorial director and cultural events advisor. 'The goal is clear: to create the conditions for meaningful encounters between practice, education, and industry, so conversations can become projects.'

On display are some of the best examples of ‘Made in Italy’, from Venetian glass experts Venini to ceramics manufacturer Florim, and Cassina, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand Collection this year. Meanwhile, the Lissoni & Partners Business Lounge features pillars delineating seating areas that have been designed to encourage conversation between contractors, developers, and architects.

'What [this event] is trying to do is to lay down the groundwork for SaloneSatellite in Saudi Arabia, establishing a dedicated platform for emerging designers that we intend to integrate more visibly in 2026,' says Porro. Education will become a structural pillar and will include mentorships with international brands, portfolio reviews, workshops on design-to-industry pathways, and collaborations with universities and vocational institutes to connect talent with real production networks.

'We’re prototyping standards, services, and an educational pipeline that will converge in 2026 into a “true Salone del Mobile” serving the Saudi ecosystem,' Porro concludes.