Unique construction designs have been evolving in the Kingdom in the past few years. The most prominent of these landmark constructions with unique designs are in financial area in Riyadh, the King A Abdullah Economic City in Makkah region and other places across the Kingdom. The evolution in urban construction in Saudi Arabia is due mainly to the large investments injected by the government and by the private sector. Amid this development, DAMAC Properties has tapped FENDi, the Italian design house, to handle the interior design of more than 100 luxury serviced hotel apartments in the 150-meter high tower DAMAC Esclusiva on King Fahd Street in Riyadh. Based on Knight Frank's report, the FENDI signature will raise the value of the property between 25 percent and 30 percent in comparison with similar non-signed products with the same quality, size and geographical location. The House of FENDI was established in 1925 in Italy, and the business grew throughout the 30s and 40s reaching markets outside Italy. FENDI launched the ready-to-wear collection in 1977 and the group grew further with the launching of the home-furnishing section in 1984. As a token of recognition, FENDI was the first brand to be distinguished by a special section in the national gallery of modern art in Rome in the occasion of its 60th anniversary in 1985. FENDI scored continuous success until the year 2000 when Louis Vuitton Group acquired a part of the company to become, one year later, its majority shareholder. FENDI celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2005 amid its success in restoring the “Fontana Di Trevi” in Rome, one of the most famous historical and tourism landmarks in the world. FENDI will be in charge of all interior design operation in two of DAMAC's projects — DAMAC Esclusiva in Riyadh and DAMAC Residenze in Dubai. FENDI designs will mix the ancient Eastern heritage and the beauty of the Italian craftsmanship. Starting from the tower's main lobby where the design and the colors are inspired by the color of the sand and the sea, to the details inside the apartment such as the Arabic “Mushrabiya,” which FENDI redesigned and executed in a wonderful way, preserving the original beautiful shape and creating privacy for the apartment, to the “golden curtain” separating the dining room from the corridor and the wonderfully designed seats of the dining table, etc. All this, in addition to many other details will present a touch of quality and a unique experience for the Saudi clients and will form an opportunity for the Saudi and Arab designers looking for more creativity, innovation, and who knows, maybe more cooperation with international design companies. As for the consequences of FENDI's entrance into the Saudi market, this will not be restricted to DAMAC Properties only and its Saudi real estate clients. This entrance will have its positive influence in the field of design in general and the real estate interior design in particular and will open the door wide to many other international designers to come to Saudi and to Riyadh specifically. This entrance will help serving the needs in the Saudi market for high quality design in this field. The Council of Saudi Chambers said that the size of the market in the construction and the contracting fields is expected to reach $300 billion (SR1.12 trillion) in 2015. The head of the contractors' committee in the Saudi Chambers, Fahd Bin Mohamed Al-Hammadi said the construction sector is second in Saudi Arabia after the oil sector. The construction boom in Saudi Arabia started years ago because of the economic prosperity, growth in population and the market's need for projects. “Historically, building designs and material in Saudi Arabia were dictated by the climate, geography and resources available, therefore the exterior and the interior of the buildings were limited by these important factors and with minor luxury and modern choices,” he said. “Today, architects and civil engineers can benefit from the progress of the various industries to offer the best commercial and residential buildings. Companies are competing with each other to win international awards in this field.”– SG
