Maria Porro: “Not exporting Milan, but building with Riyadh”

“Red in Progress” grew out of the desire to shape a structural dialogue between Italian design excellence and the extraordinary urban and cultural developments in Saudi Arabia. With the Architecture & Design Commission of the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom, we chose a highly business-oriented experience model, capable of generating meetings, exchanges and opportunities. Together, for this teaser edition we have decided to recount excellence with a scenic installation designed by the Giò Forma studio, 38 Italian companies selected for innovation and sustainability and a program of high-intensity meetings – B2B, round tables, masterclasses with Saudi and Italian protagonists. “Red” is our code: passion, energy, connection. “In progress” is the commitment: together to build, piece by piece, a permanent platform for cultural and industrial collaboration. It is a preview, of course, but also the first concrete step towards the Salone del Mobile.Milano Riyadh 2026, with the aim of becoming a strategic ally of the Kingdom in promoting quality, sustainability and innovation in the most ambitious projects. 

More than you might imagine. Both countries share a very profound idea of hospitality, a culture of housing that is not just space, but relationships. Italy has a unique heritage: the entwining of craft skills and industry, the ability to transform know-how into production systems of excellence. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, brings a design sensibility rooted in the land – light, climate, material – and a rapidly evolving architectural expression. When these two cultures meet — in the name of listening and mutual respect — solutions arise that combine identity, beauty and functionality. Diversity thus becomes a generative engine for rethinking space in a contemporary key. 

With “Red in Progress”, the Salone del Mobile.Milano aims to accompany the Italian furniture system in transforming the potential of the Saudi market into concrete opportunities: real projects, operative relationships and strategic outlets in a rapidly expanding area. It’s not just a matter of telling the story of Italian design, but of generating real value for companies, facilitating operational connections between Italian manufacturers and key Saudi players — developers, contractors, architectural firms and institutional investors. The Salone in Riyadh is presented as a permanent B2B platform, a strategic commercial bridge that enables Italian companies to enter or strengthen their presence in the markets of the Gulf region, starting from Saudi Arabia. Riyadh is becoming the regional hub for urban change, and we want to be where decisions are made, where specifications are written, where standards are designed. 

The challenge is clear: not exporting Milan, but building with Riyadh. It means translating our processes and our design culture into a language that respects Saudi specificity. But this is where the opportunity comes from: learning from each other. Italy brings processes, a supply chain, know-how; Saudi Arabia brings vision, speed of execution and a deep environmental intelligence. Together we can define a project model that is contemporary, identity and sustainable. 

For the Salone del Mobile.Milano, sustainability and innovation are not abstract concepts, but operational criteria at every stage of the project. "Red in Progress" reflects this vision through concrete and measurable choices. The whole installation curated by Giò Forma is designed to be modular, dismantlable and reusable, made with materials from traceable supply chains, in compliance with the principles of circularity and minimum environmental impact. The project is part of a broader ecosystem with the Green Guidelines of the Salone del Mobile.Milano as its frame of reference. This is an operational tool made available to exhibitors to adopt sustainable practices in terms of materials, logistics, reuse and durability of products. Confirming our structural commitment, Salone is ISO 20121 certified, an international standard for sustainable event management, and adheres to the United Nations Global Compact. In parallel, Saudi Arabia is investing in innovative materials, sustainable local supply chains and climate-responsible architecture, aligning with the goals of Vision 2030. This strategic convergence is paving the way for a new design alliance, where aesthetics, innovation and environmental responsibility become shared drivers of development. 

I believe that design is a civic gesture. In Riyadh, as elsewhere, it means building livable, intelligent spaces, respectful of the environment and people. Vision 2030 has placed design at the centre of urban development: museums, schools, public spaces and homes are no longer just buildings, but social devices. Our task is to accompany this transition with quality standards and an idea of design that is service, not just form.

“Red in Progress” shows how Italy and Saudi Arabia can collaborate through design, enhancing their respective cultures in concrete ways. On the one hand, 38 Italian brands represent the evolution of Made in Italy, between manufacturing tradition, innovation and sustainability; on the other, contemporary Saudi design finds space in a dedicated exhibition and cultural program involving emerging and established local voices. The installation, inspired by a building site in transformation, visually expresses the idea of shared construction: an open and evolving place, a symbol of a dialogue between cultures. Italian products are collected in a large “library”, designed to offer a readable and immediate overview of the proposed solutions, with the aim of highlighting the quality, production identity and versatility of the companies involved. Talks, masterclasses and discussions complete the experience, underscoring what unites the two countries: the centrality of the home, the culture of design, and the commitment to sustainable transformation. In this way, the event goes beyond an exhibition and becomes a platform for building enduring cultural, professional and industrial bridges.