After eight editions, Tanween— the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture’s annual flagship design event— is being retired, rethought, and relaunched.
Under a new name, as well as a new formula, what will now be referred to as Ithra Design Week (IDW) will expand Tanween’s original offering, integrating design across all Ithra spaces — including the museum, library and cinema— and take it beyond its traditional boundaries by activating key sites all across the Kingdom’s Eastern Province.
“After eight years of Tanween, Ithra Design Week represents a new chapter in fostering creativity and collaboration—bringing together designers, communities, and ideas to expand our impact across Saudi Arabia and beyond,” Noura Al Zamil, Ithra’s Programs Manager said at Tanween’s eighth, and final, edition.
Expected to make its debut next year in 2026, this new iteration aims to scale Tanween’s mission and overall impact, shaping a broader design ecosystem that connects creators, institutions, and audiences on a larger, more collaborative stage. To help transition, it has been reported that winners of the last edition of Tanween Challenges will be invited to participate in the first edition of Ithra Design Week, carrying their projects forward as part of the expanded platform.
That includes winners of the Global Impact Challenge (Walaa Sharaf, Arwa Omar, Farah Alkurdi, Maryam Alkhateeb, Zaina Mayet); of the Product Design Challenge (Meryam AlQarah, Redah Alali, Fatimah Bazroon, Abdullah Aldohailan); Urban Spaces Challenge (Sara Alhothali, Saif Alnuimi, Aleksandra, Abdulrahman Alshehri, Naif Alajaji) and of the Visual Communication Challenge (Rahaf Qurashi, Mohammed Altohami, Raneem Al-Raddadi, Zaid Sbeitan, Abrar Abusham).
Previous partners are also expected to stay on board. Having joined Tanween’s final edition, they will continue into this new chapter— including creative partners Dubai Design Week and Isola Design Group; strategic partners Gulf International Bank (GIB; Signature Partners Retal and Architecture and Design Commission; exhibition partners Iwan Maktabi, Bricklab, Rizomasr, and Mujassam Watan; as well as Almajdouie (GENESIS) as logistic partner.
For more information, head to Ithra’s official website.