RIYADH – Saudi Arabia, through the Architecture and Design Commission and with the backing of the Ministry of Culture, will take part in the 2025 London Design Biennale, adopting the central theme of “Drinkable Water.”
The biennale will be held at Somerset House from June 5 to 29, 2025.
This year’s Saudi pavilion is curated by a specialized team of designers who will craft an immersive presentation that delves into, challenges, and reimagines global water access and distribution systems, while also exploring the deeper meaning behind our human connection to water.
The theme “Drinkable Water” complements the biennale’s overarching topic of “Surface Reflections,” which investigates how ideas are formed through the intersection of inner experience, external influence, and personal history.
The Saudi pavilion centers around the concept of the water dispenser—a familiar sight across the Kingdom, offering free access to water and embodying the Saudi values of hospitality and generosity. These public dispensers provide for everyone, symbolizing a deep cultural ethic.
In this context, the water dispenser serves as more than a gesture of goodwill—it becomes a point of reflection that poses critical questions: Who funds this “free” water? What is its actual cost? And more profoundly, if the burden is borne by others, does everyone eventually share the cost?
The pavilion emphasizes how water dispensers, often overlooked as ordinary utilities, can be reframed as a lens through which we interrogate societal priorities. By treating water as an essential subject of inquiry, Saudi Arabia’s presentation invites a shift in perception, revealing the pivotal role that these simple structures can play in our everyday awareness and civic discourse.
Dr. Sumaya Al-Sulaiman, CEO of the Architecture and Design Commission, remarked: “Saudi Arabia’s return to the London Design Biennale is a promising new chapter in our mission to use design as a powerful medium for dialogue and cultural exchange.”
She added: “Through our participation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to global conversations on creativity, innovation, and systemic thinking.”
— V.2 Editorial Team
