The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) has wrapped the eighth and final edition of its flagship design event, Tanween, with a major announcement: beginning in 2026, the event will relaunch as Ithra Design Week.
This year’s six-day Tanween programme, featuring workshops, talks, exhibitions and design hackathons, set the stage for the event’s evolution into a larger, more integrated platform. Ithra Design Week will bring design into every corner of the centre, from the museum and cinema to publishing and IdeaLab, while also expanding into public spaces across the Eastern Province.
Two Tanween Challenge pavilions will be permanently installed in Khobar parks, and collaborations with partners such as Dubai Design Week, Isola Design Group, and the Municipality of Khobar signal Ithra’s growing international network.
The closing ceremony also revealed the winners of the 2025 Tanween Challenges, whose projects will feed into the inaugural Ithra Design Week.
“After eight years of Tanween, Ithra Design Week represents a new chapter in fostering creativity and collaboration,” said Noura Al Zamil, Ithra’s Programs Manager.
As Tanween concludes, it leaves behind eight years of themes and ideas that now form the foundation for Ithra Design Week—Saudi Arabia’s next major platform for design and innovation.
