JEDDAH — The city on Sunday hosted the Italian design day simultaneously with about 100 cities around the world. In collaboration with the Italian Business Group and Distretto Design, Italian Design Day was marked in Saudi Arabia for the first time on Sunday to showcase Italian-made products under the umbrella of the Italian Consulate General and Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Italian Design Day is sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, La Triennale and Salone del Mobile di Milano. The event in Jeddah aimed at introducing Italian design to the Saudis, said Elisabetta Martini, consul general of Italy in Jeddah, welcoming delegates and people interested in the design industry at the Italian Culture Club. Prof. Leonardo Romei, dean of Design Institute of Urbino, who is also the ambassador of the Italian design day to Saudi Arabia, said the event is one of the series of planned initiatives. The event, added Romei, is not limited to speaking about the Italian designs only but it also involves different designs of other countries. He added that he was introduced to new interesting design experiences while visiting Saudi Arabia. To him design is not only about creativity but it also involves engaging technology, solving problems and finding solutions. "The word design is more used now than does the word art and this indicates that design is becoming part of our culture. It is beauty that makes Italy unique as it combines aesthetic features with technology," added Romei. Bashar Jabban, president of Italian Business Group, said the event aims at promoting the Italian way of life in Saudi Arabia through activities. "Recently a collaborative market for Italian products was launched and it targets the Italian products distributed by Saudi organizations." The aim of such gatherings, he said, is to bring design communication so the Saudi young generation can get exposed to the Italian design culture and absorb it. High-quality Italian products are aimed to attract Saudi buyers with sophisticated high aesthetic standards. The Saudi market is significant and one of the biggest markets in the Middle East, according to company representatives of B&B, Slamp and Italprogram Plus.
