ArabWeeks

aura is proud to present their Special Edition Dina Gaming Tables. The collection comprises two tables that ingeniously integrate gaming with contemporary aura-branded furniture. The first, alow-level Carrom board table with matching floor cushions and the second, areversible gaming table with integrated cup holders which flips seamlessly between a backgammon board and a card table. These stunning tables are a must-have for fun, social gatherings or just a quiet night in.“The gaming tables are unique. There is nothing quite like them and there is a lot of buzz about them.” says local designer, Dina Abdulatief of Sense of Space design studio. “Playing these games is part of our culture and evokes fond memories of family get-togethers at Eid time andother happy occasions. I am very excited to have had the opportunity to reinterpret those memories with such a fresh approach.”
aura encourages young talent and works every year with a young/promising local designer to create a product. This year, aura commissioned Abdulatief to create the gaming tables with a contemporary, edgy feel appealing as ever to the style-conscious Saudi household. The tables are innovative in design incorporating simple, clean lines resulting in a bold and intriguing look that successfully couples tradition and trend. The look is achieved with a combination of wood, fibreglass, baize, stainless steel and white, synthetic leather. The tables are practical, low￾maintenance pieces with easy to clean surfaces and would make a striking addition to the décor of any home.
aura announced today that it would be launching the Dina Gaming Tables on October 5th to coincide with Saudi Design Week. To see the tables in person and to learn more about them, come and visit the aura booth during Design Week. Reservations can be made directly at the aura boothduring Design Week and also in aura retail stores from that date. The tables will be available for collection from mid-January.

The renowned art, design and lifestyle store, Cities Boutique will participate in Saudi Design Week, during October 5-9 2016, continuing in its efforts to bring visionary and exceptional designs to the MENA region. Cities officially opened its doors in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2008 and has successfully built a strong reputation for cultivating the regional design landscape and bringing stunning, one-of-a-kind pieces and authentic creations from across the globe to Cities Boutique.

 For the upcoming Saudi Design Week Cities will showcase a curated selection of stunning design pieces, hand-picked by owner and founder, Hazem Aljesr. The centerpiece of the Cities exhibit will display the beautiful delMare table, created by Romanian designer Eduard Locota. The piece evokes powerful colours and textures, that make it seem as though one is gazing down at the endless ocean floor, full of bright blues and deep greens. The exhibit will also feature works from the innovative Portuguese design house Peark Cork, who specialize in crafting elegant and stylish creations made from eco-friendly materials, such as cork, placing them at the forefront of sustainability and biodiversity in the design world. Other notable items in the Cities’ display include the Tyria side tables by Roland Helou, which are accented by sleek marble accessories from Greek design firm Iktinos Marmaron and wood and the Slice console from Nada Debs.

Van Cleef & Arpels collaborates with Saudi Design Week in celebrating the art of fine Jewelry, whilst shedding light on the very secretive realm of Jewelry and Watchmaking. The Maison is proud to be a partner of this unique design initiative where the luxurious Al Faisaliah Resort and Spa in Riyadh will be transformed into the region’s epicenter for design and creativity from 6 to 9 October. Enriching the Saudi art and design scene, Van Cleef & Arpels presents an exhibition illustrating the remarkable craftsmanship and savoir-faire of the Master Jewelers: In Praise of Hands, paying homage to the expert hands of its master craftsmen: the Mains d’Or™.

“Van Cleef & Arpels recognizes the astounding talent on Saudi Arabia’s art and design scene and looks forward to cultivating a long-standing friendship with Saudi Design Week”, says Alessandro Maffi, Van Cleef & Arpels Managing Director Middle East and India. “To mark this occasion, the Maison invites creative minds to embark on a journey through the savoir-faire whilst paying tribute to the Master Jewelers – behind every creation and execution is an unparalleled artistic sensibility”,  Alessandro added.

“The Mains d’Or are the virtuoso craftsmen of the Maison’s workshops in Paris’ Place Vendôme”, said Nicolas Bos, the President and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels. “They are the grand masters who use their expert and knowledgeable hands to interpret inspiration. They breathe life into the Maison’s high jewelry creations, whilst transcending daily challenges to create timeless pieces”, Nicolas added.

“In Praise of Hands” showcases the different crafts that grace each Van Cleef & Arpels creation, revealing the extraordinary story of its birth. The crafts are presented in dedicated sections featuring large-scale black and white photographs by Francesco Cito and videos by Loïc Prigent and Willy Papa showing the Mains d’Or at work in the workshops. The legendary crafts exhibited at “In Praise of Hands” illustrate countless hours of meticulous work and the ancestral expertise of the skilled hands which collectively bond their savoir-faire to give life to a jewel. The exhibition gives honor to the Mains d’Or: the designer, mock-up maker, jeweler, stone-setter, stone-cutter, polisher and sculptor-engraver master.

•From 6-9 October 2016, Saudi Design Week will return to Durrat
AlRIyadh for it’s third edition
•The program will comprise of a series of talks, workshops, exhibitions,
and exclusive screening offering insight to a range of movies
highlighting design and all of its components
•local designers
•Hands-on workshops will provide fair visitors opportunities to actually
get involved in design

From the 6th to the 9th of October 2016, Saudi Design Week transforms the luxurious Durrat AlRiyadh in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia into the region’s epicenter for design and creativity. Oasis Magazine launches the third edition of Saudi Arabia’s premier design fair with a much
larger platform for established and emerging designers both local and international to converge. This year’s program consists of a series of creative workshops, design conference, special events and installations aimed at proliferating a solid design hub in the region.
Saudi Design Week co-founder and Director Basma Bouzo said “We are so excited to bring the third edition of this fair to Riyadh. This year’s line up is incredible and we really hope to illuminate not only designers in the country and region, but to also spark new ideas and for future designers. We have several activities all taking place within the context of design and we are especially excited this year with the screening platform- showing exclusive documentaries relating to design and creativity.” Moving beyond an appreciation for good aesthetics, the 2016 theme of Saudi Design Week explores the concept of Illumination, both literally and figuratively. Design thought leaders and practitioners alike join forces to investigate the role of design in shedding light on significant social issues. The festival promises an immersive experience for visitors to delve deeper into the world of visual communications— discovering the broad stroke of disciplines, topics and practices shaping the creative industries today. Saudi Design Week partnered with renowned jewellery maison, Van Cleef & Arpels, patrons themselves of the burgeoning creative talents in the region:

“Van Cleef & Arpels looks forward to cultivating a long-standing friendship with Saudi Design Week,” says Alessandro Maffi, ManagingDirector of Van Cleef & Arpels, Middle East & India. “The Maison recognizes the astounding talent on Saudi Arabia’s art and design scene; to mark the occasion, creative minds are
invited to embark on a journey through the savoir-faire whilst paying tribute to the Master Jewellers of Van Cleef & Arpels.” Saudi Design Week serves as a crux for designers, institutions and commercial platforms to intersect and champion the importance of design in the local and global sphere today. Hosting a festival of suchmagnitude requires a transformative space that intrinsically shares the same vision and appreciation for good design. As Frederick Zoltan Petry, General  Manager of Al Faisaliah Resort and Spa notes: “It is a pleasure and a privilege to once again host Saudi Design Week–the cultural event of the year. The restive beauty of the natural surroundings along with its rich yet welcoming architectural style, makes the Al Faisaliah Resort the perfect venue to appreciate and contemplate visual ingenuity. Showcasing and celebrating design and art is fundamental to the Resort’s mission. Indeed, the resort experience seeks to rest the body, delight the senses, and engage the imagination. What better way to do this than through design!”SAUDI DESIGN WEEK HIGHLIGHTS:
Design Exhibition, Workshops and Special Projects From wearable shelters to interactive architectural pavilions and thought provoking installations, it’s creative and purposeful innovation at its best. Design Forum With a repertoire of extraordinary local and international speakers, visitors will find themselves engaged in compelling conversations on humanitarian design, tech and product ingenuity, the treatment and manipulation of light in architecture, culture and more.
Special Focus Project: Van Cleef & Arpels
• Van Cleef & Arpels in collaboration with Saudi Design Week to present In Praise of Hands™ Exhibition by Van Cleef & Arpels. The exhibition celebrates the art of fine jewelry, whilst shedding light on the very secretive realm of Jewelry and Watchmaking. An ardent supporter of the arts, the Maison is proud to be a partner
of this unique art initiative for the first time. Enriching the Saudi art and design scene, Van Cleef & Arpels presents an exhibition illustrating the remarkable craftsmanship and savoir-faire of the Master Jewelers: In Praise of Hands.

Exhibitors include
Aura, A Interiors, A_Ghuph Studio, Adidas, AlHanouf Interior, ASI Design Studio, Aya Al Bitar Design House, Basma and Noura Bouzo, Canto Quarto, Cities, Heba Al Hawsaui, Lumas, Mint Designs Studio, Nayla Al Attar, Neat, Nota Nota, Noura Bouzo, Makan by The Old Castle Design, Rukun Gallery, Sadu House, Sense of Space, Tamashee.

Workshops
Saudi Design Week offers a number of workshops that aim to provide the local audience opportunities to have hands on experience with various design elements. These will include:
• Designing Future Electronics by KAUST where a hands-on demonstration of how to make the electronics in 3D printed smart objects, sticker electronics, paper electronics and textile electronic.

• Hands on session CONCRETE: build your own object by Alaa Alghufaili will give participants an opportunity to lean how to work with concrete, as well as how to build your own moulds using different methods and leave with an actual object off the cast.
• Tafkeek Tarkeeb, led by Lebanon-based BilArabic will be discussing and working on deconstructing patterns from architectural designs in and around Saudi Arabia and reconstructing minimal and reconsidered designs.
• Majed Al Bahiti’s session CREATE Your Brand will teach you how to creatively engage and curate your own brand. Screenings Get a front row seat to exclusive screenings of documentaries talking about design including Design Disruptors ( exclusive screening) , Design Thinking , Design is One: Lella & Massimo
Vignelli, Eames: The Architect and the Painter, among others.
Special Projects include Art Riyadh, Aggregate Systems Pavilion, Banafsajeel, Bilarabic, Create for Alf Khair, Doodle for a Cause, KAUST’s Intergrated Disruptive Electronic Applications (IDEA) Lab, Refugee Wearable Shelter, What Design Can Do, Pop Up Shop by Draft, O Design Incubator.