Vivienne Westwood debuts at Riyadh Fashion Week

Welcome to Al-Monitor Riyadh.

This week we look at the return of Riyadh Fashion Week and the debut of a Vivienne Westwood runway show for the event’s third edition; the Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s announcement of its 2026 title, theme and preliminary artist list for its upcoming Contemporary Art Biennale; a glimpse of what is to come for Riyadh Expo 2030 during the closing days of the Osaka Expo; and a quick dive into Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning market for wellness. 

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Happy reading,

Rebecca

P.S. Have feedback or tips on Riyadh's culture scene? Send them my way at contactus@al-monitor.com.

1. Leading the week: Riyadh Fashion Week

A runway look by Saudi Atelier Hekayat Couture during Riyadh Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2024. Courtesy of Riyadh Fashion Week

The much anticipated and increasingly international Riyadh Fashion Week is returning to the Saudi capital this week. As part of the lineup of catwalk shows, British fashion brand Vivienne Westwood will present its first-ever fashion show in the region as part of the event. The show is staged in a palm grove in Riyadh, a landmark venue in the city that celebrates Saudi Arabia’s historic connection to its land.

“This is the first time we are hosting a runway show in the Middle East, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to do this in Riyadh,” said Carlo D’Amario, CEO of Vivienne Westwood, in the show’s announcement. “We are working on a special collection of embroidered gowns, a result of the union of the expertise of our couture team and the craftsmanship of local artisans — a concrete way to promote local traditions through an international perspective. Today, fashion must go beyond aesthetics; it must be a connection between cultures.”

D’Amario emphasizes that “global-local” is a key concept for the brand — one that led it to stage a show in Saudi Arabia.

“Our main interlocutors are young people between 18 and 28 years old who drive change,” he adds. “Education and inclusivity are key, and as part of our show, we have invited around 100 students from local fashion schools to attend and will be hosting a mentoring session with students prior to the show.”

The show will present a capsule collection of specially created Vivienne Westwood gowns in collaboration with Art of Heritage, a cultural institution working to preserve Saudi craftsmanship. Each exclusive gown has been intricately embroidered by Saudi artisans from the program and will be showcased alongside Vivienne Westwood’s Spring/Summer 2026 looks and select archival creations during the show. 

Since its first edition in October 2023, Riyadh Fashion Week has emerged as one of the most important events in the region for fashion. This year, over the course of six days, the event will present more than 30 runway shows and fashion presentations, spanning couture, ready-to-wear and streetwear for men and women. 

Date: Oct. 16-21

Location: Various, including Bedrock, Al Mamlaka and JAX, Diriyah in Riyadh

Find more information here. 

2. Word on the street: Nujuma

A view of a beach villa at Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve on the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia. Courtesy of Nujuma

Among Saudi Arabia’s newest luxury Red Sea resorts, Nujuma (a Ritz-Carlton Reserve) — offering a dreamy escape where glistening waters meet cultural heritage and upscale hospitality — has just been awarded Two MICHELIN Keys, a new distinction from the recently launched MICHELIN Guide Keys, signifying “an exceptional stay.” Nujuma marks the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Middle East and places the hotel among the world’s most sought after and extraordinary hotels. 

Located on Ummahat Island in the Red Sea, Nujuma is part of a larger luxury destination off Saudi Arabia’s west coast, offering island living surrounded by crystal-blue waters, untouched natural landscapes and the captivating culture of the region.

Location: Ummahat Island, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia

Find more information here. 

3. Riyadh diary

A view of the exterior of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation (DBF) in the JAX District in Riyadh. Courtesy of DBF

• Diriyah Biennale Foundation announces title, theme and preliminary artist list

The Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale has announced its title, theme and preliminary artist list. 

Titled “فِي ٱلْحِلِّ وَٱلتِّرْحَالِ “ — translating to “In Interludes and Transitions” from Arabic — the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026 will look at the world as a multitude of processions. Staged again in historic Diriyah, the third edition takes as its point of departure the various movements, migrations and transformations that continue to connect the Arab region with the rest of the world. 

The title stems from a colloquial phrase that evokes the cycles of encampment and journey among Bedouin communities in the Arabian Peninsula, symbolizing reflection and connection amid constant flux and change. The 2026 biennale proposes a rethinking of the world as a place of intense movement, whether through changes in species, technology, the environment or the planets. This movement aims to echo the intense social and ecological transformations and upheavals that mark the first two decades of this century. 

The third edition of the biennale brings together synergies in visual art, music and poetry, celebrating the unity of the artistic disciplines as expressions of culture in the Arab world. 

Date: Jan. 30 to May 30, 2026

Location: JAX District, Diryah, Riyadh

Find more information here.

• ‘Deserts & Sea’ by Hala Al Khalifa

Currently on view at L’Art Pur Foundation in Riyadh is the first solo exhibition of works by Bahraini Sheikha Hala Al Khalifa, curated by Gaida Almogren. On view are abstract works that explore the profound connection between the desert and the sea — landscapes that are intricately connected and have shaped human experiences over time. 

Riyadh’s renowned private cultural institution, founded by HH Princess Adwaa bint Yazid Bin Abdallah in 1999, has long served as a catalyst to shape cultural and artistic awareness, playing a pivotal role in supporting both emerging and established artists in Saudi Arabia through a range of initiatives. 

Date: Nov. 6

Location: L’Art Pur Foundation, At Takhassusi Branch St, Al Olaya

Find more information here.

• From Osaka to Riyadh, the countdown for Expo 2030 begins

On Oct. 10 in Osaka, Japan, as the Osaka Expo drew to a close, Expo 2030 Riyadh offered a glimpse of what it will offer in five years time with the “From Osaka to Riyadh” cultural showcase at the Expo Arena Matsuri. Drawing over 15,000 attendees, the event combined leading Saudi and Japanese performers in a high-energy showcase of music and culture, featuring Saudi vocalist Ghada Sheri, the Al Bairaq Al Akhdar drumming group, Japan’s Taiko-Center drummers, techno pioneer Ken Ishii and DJ KAORI, enhanced by laser and hologram effects. 

With the theme “Foresight for Tomorrow,” Expo 2030 Riyadh is set to welcome over 42 million visitors from 197 countries and 29 organizations. Spanning 6 million square meters and structured around five thematic zones, the event will explore forward-looking solutions for a more sustainable and inclusive future.

Date: Oct. 1, 2030, to March 31, 2031

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Find more information here.

4. Book of the week: "Daring to Drive: A Saudi Women’s Awakening"

Published in 2013 before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious Vision 2030 plan for social and economic change, this book offers a pivotal and intimate memoir of Manal al-Sharif, who courageously led a movement to support women’s right to drive in the kingdom. Sharif grew up in Mecca as the second daughter of a taxi driver and was born in 1979, just as the kingdom entered its most conservative phase.

5. View from Riyadh

‘The Saudi Ballerina photographed in 2017 by Abdullah Al-Musharraf. Courtesy of Abdullah Al-Musharraf

Riyadh-based photographer Abdullah Al-Musharraf, born in the Saudi capital in 1985, captures a Saudi woman dancing ballet in 2017.

“A reflection on breaking stereotypes — reminding us that being covered doesn’t mean being confined. It invites the viewer to free their mind from judgment and see the strength, beauty and freedom that exist beyond appearances,” explains Musharraf to Al-Monitor. 

Long passionate about portrait, fashion and conceptual photography, Musharraf is the producer of a traditional fashion book series in Saudi Arabia and founder of 8iess, a leading advertising and local content company, and thestock.sa, a Saudi multimedia licensing platform established in 2021. 

6. By the numbers

• Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the PIF, is backing Kayanee, a new athleisure and wellness brand that is already popular among millennial and Gen Z Saudi women, according to Semafor. The plan is to launch a wellness app by 2026.
• As Saudi Arabia reimagines its economy, well-being is no longer being treated as a luxury, but as a necessity. According to Bonafide Research, the kingdom’s mental wellness market is projected to surpass $1.8 billion by 2029.
• Saudi Arabia’s quality of life program under Vision 2030 is also shaping public and private engagement with the wellness market. In 2024 alone, the program launched 173 initiatives, planted 1.1 million trees, created 149 parks and increased tourists from 41 million in 2018 to 115.9 million, contributing to 3.9% non-oil gross domestic product growth and raising the kingdom’s happiness index to 6.6, according to Arab News.