Saudi design week's inaugural edition, created and organized by Oasis magazine in partnership with the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, hosted a fair that was devoted to the world of art and design, with a special regional flavor. With a series of open events that extended beyond one main venue, Saudi Design Week 2014 gathered under a single roof both international and local masters of design as well as emerging artists. Participating venues included aura store, Cities Boutique, The Globe Gallery at Al Faisaliah Hotel, Harvey Nichols Riyadh, Lam Art Gallery, Naila Art Gallery and the King Faisal Foundation. With the core belief that design is everywhere and in every discipline, Saudi Design Week focused on bringing together stars of design, creative people as well as the general public to discuss and explore relevant key topics, which will ultimately create the foundation for change in the regional design community. The first edition of Saudi Design Week, aimed to create a platform to discuss design, hosted a series of events, curated exhibitions and series of talks that covered multiple disciplines from decorative art, design, to art, photography, typography, and fashion. Saudi Design Week's Design Forum hosted several influential personas from the ?elds of fashion, design, art, and business who came together to discuss, explore and debate some of the most pressing issues facing the design field in the region today. Personalities included CEO of Alfa Group Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al Saud, Chief Executive of the The Fine Art Fund Group Philip Hoffman, Fair Director of Design Days Dubai Cyril Zammit, Assistant Professor Dr. Maha Senan, award winning director Deborah Riley Draper, King of Vintage and Creative Director Cameron Silver, Photographer Faisal Malki, artist Manal Al Dowayan, artist Abdulnasser Gharem, industrial designer Khalid Shafar, and many more acclaimed speakers and guests. The forum acted as a center stage for a series of stimulating speeches, panel discussions, presentations and Q&A sessions, which generated an enriching dialogue and set the tone and agenda for future editions of SDW. This core belief of SDW was also reflected in the variety and diversity of events that took place, which included documentary screenings at Harvey Nichols, curated exhibitions at Lam Art Gallery and Naila Art Gallery, design competition launched by aura Living, pop up shops by Cities Boutique and Decades at Harvey Nichols, photography exhibition at The Globe at Al Faisaliah Hotel, as well as a wide range of workshops that took place that week. “Saudi Design Week is about the people and their talent. ‘I am design' has been our slogan for this inaugural year. It's not about the product; it's about the person behind that product. We wanted to start with the capital of Saudi as it is about time that Riyadh celebrates Saudi Arabia's thriving creative energy and learn from the region's creative scenes. SDW is a sample of what the city has to offer. Riyadh will showcase the best of the design community from grass roots movements, to governmental institutions, and international presence. This is the first step towards creating a solid design hub. We're very excited,” said Basma Bouzo, co-founder and organizer, SDW. Saudi Design Week's first annual event focused on starting the conversation and creating the platform to discuss design in all its disciplines. Preparations for the highly anticipated 2015 fair are currently under way with a focus on making the event incorporate four major elements: international participation, grass root initiatives, regional participation and government involvement. With these four elements, the organizers behind SDW believe that this will create the base and core elements needed to support a thriving creative community. More details on the 2015 fair will be revealed throughout the year. “This year, we started a conversation that encompassed all fields of art and design. And throughout the year we will be continuing the conversation and following up with individuals and institutions to make sure that our goal for 2015 is met and that design in general is more understood.” Noura Bouzo, Co-Founder and Organizer, SDW. Saudi Design Week 2015 will take place late February 2015. The fair's website www.saudidesignweek.com will be continually updated with the fair's details and events.
Oasis Magazine is the premier arts & culture magazine that continuously celebrates our cultural heritage and a modern, progressive and young MENA generation that is coming up with new ideas and excelling at them. The magazine offers a seasonal update on arts, culture, fashion, and travel from the perspective of a young local team and a blend of international talents. Oasis delivers fresh new content each time around exposing both Middle Eastern happenings, from events to individuals changing our arena, and worldwide happenings. The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies was established in 1983. Based in Riyadh, the center is an independent, not-for-profit institution financed by the King Faisal Foundation. The center studies issues affecting the Arab and Muslim worlds, and organizes a number of conferences each year. — SG
