EXCLUSIVE: As Middle East Conflict Endures, Salone del Mobile Postpones Saudi Arabia Edition

MILAN – The Middle East conflict — the largest in scale since the Iraq War in 2003 — continues to interrupt everything from shipping to global events.

Salone del Mobile.Milano told WWD Tuesday that its first Riyadh edition planned for November 2026 has been postponed until 2027.

Salone del Mobile.Milano’s president Maria Porro said the decision was made with Italy’s Architecture and Design Commission.

“Together with ADC, we have therefore agreed to reschedule the first full edition in 2027,” she said in an emailed statement. In November 2026, organizers staged a preview of a larger, more structured trade show in a three-day event that showcased the collections of 35 Italian furniture, lighting, surfaces and accessories brands.

Despite the postponement of the full fair, the organization remains committed to the region, Porro said. “Our commitment to Saudi Arabia and to the partnership remains strong, and our presence in Riyadh will continue as part of the Salone World Tour,” she said. Salone World Tour will begin Thursday, with a presentation at Indonesia Design Week, with a showcase of the Salone Satellite Permanent Collection, an anthology of emerging designer creations. A Riyadh stop has not yet been planned.

She added that Salone del Mobile Riyadh remains key to the Italian government’s interest in promoting Italian business in the Gulf nation, currently in the midst of diversifying its industrial potential via its Vision 2030 plan.

A Macro-Economic Challenge

During a bilateral meeting held July 29 in Rome, the Italian and Saudi Arabian governments reaffirmed their commitment to strategic collaboration. At that time, Antonio Tajani, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud recognized Salone del Mobile.Milano in Riyadh as an important opportunity for collaboration in the fields of design, innovation and creativity.

For the home and interiors industry, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have cast a shadow over the prospect for the global design and interiors market, which had heavily invested in cities like Riyadh and Dubai as key growth hubs. Home to the lion’s share of the world’s luxury design firms, Italy’s wood and furniture supply chain said companies reported a decline in the first quarter of 2026. Valued at 4.4 billion euros, exports fell 5.2 percent in the initial three months of 2026, dragged down by the ongoing conflict. In March alone, exports to the Middle East plunged by 48.8 percent.

Forging Ahead

Despite declining exports, luxury firms continue are focused on the long-term growth prospects and continue to forge ahead with new store openings.

Design firm Kartell said its Riyadh opening is slated for the fall of 2026 and that the new flagship will be positioned within the King Abdullah Financial District, also known as the KAFD, shopping area.

Minotti, known for its sleek furniture designs by Rodolfo Dordoni, Hannes Peer and Marcio Kogan, opened its doors in downtown Riyadh in October — a 6,673-square-foot space in KAFD, the same place where fellow Italian design company Molteni&C is expected to open its showroom later this year.

Organ­izers across key regional design hubs — Beirut, Dubai, Doha and Riy­adh — have told WWD that major design events are still mov­ing for­ward, even as the U.S. and Iran con­flict impacts travel and security across the Gulf.

The next edi­tion of Design Doha Bien­nale will take place in Nov. 5 of this year, while Dubai Design Week is sched­uled for Nov. 3 to 8, with its anchor fair Down­town Design run­ning Nov. 5 to 9. The Dubai event remains cent­ral to the region’s grow­ing design and fur­niture sec­tor, which is pro­jec­ted to reach $35 bil­lion by 2031, accord­ing to Mordor Intel­li­gence.

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